As the parent of a Kansas K-12 student, you know that what happens in school doesn't always stay in school. If your child's alleged academic misbehavior or struggles in school have an impact on their life in the classroom, you're going to hear about it.
While you may think that the opposite isn't quite as true—that if something happens off campus, it's none of your school's business—increasingly, that isn't the case. More and more, schools in Kansas and throughout the nation are becoming very interested in what their students are doing off-campus. And, in some cases, they're feeling the right to step in and do something about unwanted behavior, like recommending stern disciplinary consequences.
This may not seem fair. Whether your child is involved with a potential vandalism incident, an off-campus party that got out of hand, or even something that seems inconsequential, like a poorly-worded social media post, you may not see the link between your child's behavior and their in-school punishments. When you consider the fact that any punishments your student has to weather now could end up impacting them for the rest of their academic careers, it's clear that you need to do something now to protect your child and their future.
At the Lento Law Firm, we're here to help parents understand their children's rights in school disputes and then protect those rights when we can. We can help you open direct lines of communication with your student's school, guide you through any tense hearings, and even assist with any appeals that may be necessary to help you and your family achieve your ideal outcome. Retain the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm today by calling 888.535.3686 or filling out this brief form to learn more about how we can help you.
What Types of Off-Campus Events Could Garner Your K-12 School's Attention?
Why would your school take notice of something your child did off campus (and how would they find out about it in the first place)?
Increasingly, schools are considering student's off-campus activities, which can include their online actions, as part of the way their students represent their entire communities. In some cases, the actions of students, no matter where they occur, can impact school communities as well—for instance, if one student posts something harmful or hateful online. (That may not happen on campus, but it can lead to a charged, unhelpful atmosphere that the school will have to mitigate.)
Schools are finding out about these actions more often and more quickly for several reasons. One of them is social media; if teens are posting about a house party, your school's administrators can learn about it quite easily. Increasingly, it's hard for offline events to just stay offline—which, in many cases, means it's difficult for them to stay entirely off-campus.
The specific types of off-campus events that might result in your school's actions tend to include:
- Inappropriate or harmful social media posts
- Illegal activities, including drug use, underage drinking, and vandalism
- Bullying or harassment
- Large parties or gatherings, especially if they include illegal activities or get out of control (perhaps breaching local noise ordinances)
- Public misconduct, which is a wide category of potential infractions that can include anything that qualifies as disrupting or disrespectful behavior in a public space
- Unhelpful activity in online games or forums
If your school believes that your child is involved in any of these or similar unwanted off-campus actions, your school may decide to get involved by sanctioning your student.
Does My K-12 Kansas School Have the Power to Sanction My Child?
When it comes to off-campus events, you might wonder: Does your school really have the jurisdiction to step in and recommend a sanction?
It depends. Reading your school's specific code of conduct is the best way to get answers about what your school can and cannot do (on paper). Generally, when schools are sanctioning off-campus events, they'll provide a recommendation for punitive actions that corresponds to how close, metaphorically, the action was to the school community.
Let's give a few examples:
- If your student's alleged misconduct isn't explicitly connected to your school's regulations, your school may respond with a disciplinary sanction that is mainly educative or restorative. For example, if your student shoplifted from a local store, your school may start by trying to learn why your student felt the need to shoplift, engage the child in therapy, or provide educational materials about the impact of their actions.
- If your student's alleged misconduct is tangentially related to your school's policies, your school's response may be a little more overt. Let's say your child's off-campus online activities could be deemed hateful or derogatory—which may not explicitly fall under your school's regulations but could contribute to an unsafe environment for any people allegedly targeted by your child's post. Your school may recommend counseling in this case or, depending on the nature of the post or action, could recommend steeper consequences like suspensions.
- If your school can argue that your student's off-campus actions are directly connected to your school's community—e.g. if your student has allegedly compromised the safety of another student—then your school won't feel any hesitation in recommending punitive actions, which can range from a written warning all the way up to exclusionary discipline like suspensions and expulsion.
Although it may seem tempting to write off these punishments as simply on-campus repercussions, remember that the consequences your child experiences in school can have long-lasting effects on their future.
What Long-Term Consequences Come with Discipline for Off-Campus Events?
If your child has to undergo disciplinary consequences after their alleged off-campus behavior, they'll start experiencing the ramifications instantly. If they're suspended, they may miss important academic experiences. If they aren't allowed to participate in extracurricular activities for a certain period of time, they'll miss out on social and community development. Your student's teachers may start to mistrust your child, and your school may be more likely to discipline your child in the future.
However, that doesn't even start to touch on the potentially disastrous long-term effects of K-12 exclusionary discipline.
There are short-term effects, too. If your child is involved in school discipline, immediately, they will lose access to some of their academic and extracurricular experiences. This could cause them to miss out on valuable instruction or community-forming time. As much as some may say it's possible to make up for that lost time, it may not actually be—and your student's teachers might form an opinion of your child that won't be quite so easily repaired.
Over the long term, your student may find that their school is more likely to recommend similar types of disciplinary actions for them. When your student applies to college or if they're in the running for any competitive internships, you might realize they're having a harder time than necessary since disciplinary events are now on their transcript. You may also have a harder time keeping less-than-favorable stories about your student from being in the spotlight if they're referenced in your child's academic records. The repercussions of your child's discipline could be far-reaching, even if what your child is dealing with just seems like a relatively innocuous or quick suspension.
If your child is facing discipline associated with off-campus discipline, you need to do something about it—and you'll need to act quickly.
How Can I Help My Kansas Student Through K-12 School Disciplinary Proceedings?
Managing the complex Kansas K-12 school disciplinary process can be daunting. The state has an intricate education system and a complex web of regulations that can make working toward the best outcome possible.
It's a challenging situation. Having the top-tier legal experience of the Lento Law Firm at your side will make your experience much less stressful and make working toward a successful outcome for your child much more achievable.
The specific events you'll have to look forward to as your school learns more about what your student is allegedly responsible for will be specific to your school. Keeping an eye on your school's specific code of conduct, which is a document that should be freely available on your school's website, will give you the best understanding of what may lie ahead for you.
Generally, you should be able to expect the following series of events.
First, once you learn that your student could be involved with off-campus misconduct, you should take time to understand the policies that could affect your student.
Understanding Kansas State Law and Your School District's Policies
Kansas has a collection of laws that govern the way K-12 schools in the state can handle disciplinary actions. You can find these academic regulations within the Kansas Statutes or in the Kansas State Department of Education's reference materials. One such regulation is Kansas Statute 72-6143, which outlines some basic information about student safety and discipline.
That's the information you should review at the state level. Each discrete school district will have its own policies, too, whether your student attends school in the Wichita Public Schools system or in the Blue Valley School District.
All of this research will be time-consuming, and when you find the policy you're looking for, it will be dense and full of legalese. The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help you go through the relevant documentation to find the specific language that is pertinent to your case.
Preparing for Disciplinary Proceedings in K-12 Kansas Schools
As you're taking time to understand the legal framework, you should take time to get your student and family prepared.
After your school learns about your student's off-campus actions, your school will determine whether to learn more and then launch an investigation. At this time, your school should send you an official notice to inform you that your student is facing disciplinary action. If you haven't already, this notice is a great indication that it's time to retain the Lento Law Firm for support with your case.
This may also be a good time to start your own investigation. Talk to your student about what happened. Ask them if there's anything going on at school or in their life that could be connected to ostensible misbehavior on their part. Get copies of social media posts or emails associated with your child's alleged actions. This will help the professionals at the Lento Law Firm get a good understanding of your case as efficiently as possible.
Interfacing with Your School's Administration for Your Child's Success
After your school finishes its investigation, you'll receive further invitations to disciplinary activities. This may include a personal meeting with your school's administration. You might also be invited to a formal hearing so you can make your argument in front of a panel of school representatives.
The Lento Law Firm will be there to guide you through these events. We can prepare you for meetings, provide experienced representation, and even open direct lines of communication with your school's legal counsel—which can result in some very effective opportunities for negotiation.
After Your School Makes a Decision About Your Child's Responsibility
At the end of this process, your school will determine what they believe your student is responsible for. They will also provide a recommendation for sanctions your student will have to undergo. If you do not agree with your school's decisions, you can file an appeal. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team can help you manage this process so it's as seamless and successful as possible.
Retain the Lento Law Firm to Protect Your Kansas Student's Future
When your student's future is on the line, and especially when you're dealing with nebulous, confusing types of discipline like consequences for off-campus misconduct, you need experienced professionals on the case.
That's where the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm comes in. Our team is ready now to begin helping you achieve your intended outcome. Retain our services today by calling 888.535.3686, or simply fill out this brief form to tell us more about your case.
