The Sarasota metropolitan area is home to an excellent economic climate, boasting outstanding opportunities in the legal, financial, and medical sectors for young adults to pursue after high school graduation. Area parents hope their children will gain valuable knowledge in one of the area's other renowned sectors: education. The region's K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and other instructive programs test individuals through self-guided projects, group assignments, and standardized tests that evaluate their academic and behavioral thresholds.
Whether parents envision their student children beginning a business, joining a top-notch company, or journeying toward becoming an attorney, doctor, engineer, or teacher, each starts with a high school diploma. However, during these formative years of adolescence, mistakes and unforeseen obstacles can derail progress in obtaining a diploma or degree. A host of circumstances may sway a young adult off the path to success. Parents may believe school officials are as forgiving as they are, but that isn't true.
Schools have an obligation to maintain funding mechanisms and uphold their reputations. Therefore, disciplinary boards are unforgiving when students need constructive support to restore their character. Schools hand down unfair sanctions to address even baseless allegations against honest students, thus putting their goal of graduation at risk. The fast-paced grievance processes schools depend on may not consider an individual's extenuating circumstances or even grants them proper due process.
It's critical for parents to understand that they can retain professional help and ensure their child's path to success. When your child is at risk, there's no greater value than partnering with a proven professional.
Student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento has provided dependable guidance and representation for countless students of dedicated parents. He and his team at the Lento Law Firm recognize the complexities of school disciplinary regulations and empathize with those facing such stressful situations. As a parent, act first in defending yourself or your child by contacting Joseph D. Lento immediately. Don't let false and unfair allegations disrupt your student child's education.
Sarasota Metropolitan Area
Positioned around the energetic city of Sarasota, Florida, the region is spread across four counties in the southwestern portion of the state, encompassing over 800,000 residents. The bustling shoreline expanse may host many confident attorneys with years of experience arguing before judges and in front of juries to decide influential cases. Parents may be convinced through clever advertising that they can obtain relief for their child in disciplinary situations that may lead to suspensions and expulsions. Yet, believing that courtroom expertise is needed is an all-too-common mistake.
Few legal professionals have the diplomacy to settle a student's misconduct troubles outside formal hearings. More than likely, it may make the situation worse. Aggression shouldn't be the first tactic in school disciplinary scenarios.
Joseph D. Lento and his team have spent years building relationships with representatives in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) in numerous schools. He recognizes the difference between judicial proceedings and administrative disciplinary hearings conducted by schools and can safeguard your student child's rights and prospects.
He and the Lento Law Firm Team are no outsiders to brokering beneficial resolutions on behalf of students, nor are they to defending students in the Sarasota metropolitan area. They can deliver much-needed disciplinary support in areas such as:
- Bayshore Gardens
- Bee Ridge
- Bradenton
- Englewood
- Fruitville
- Gulf Gate Estates
- North Port
- Palmetto
- Port Charlotte
- Sarasota Springs
- South Bradenton
- Venice
Parents can have peace of mind by placing their trust in Joseph D. Lento and his student defense team to devote themselves as worthy advocates for their child's relief. Whether your elementary school-age child faces detention or you're a doctoral candidate in medical college battling remediation issues, the Lento Law Firm can help.
Sarasota Metropolitan Area Student Concerns
Out of the hundreds of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, and post-graduate educational programs dotting the Sarasota metropolitan area, each presents students with unique conditions. In addition to establishing themselves academically, students may come face-to-face with difficulties regarding behavioral rules, social interactions, and gaining the trust of instructors and staff members. However, there may be unknown barriers that may stand in their way.
Teachers, faculty members, sports team coaches, or administration officials may have ambiguous or contradictory expectations for academic performance or behavior in their particular domains. Instances like this can quickly leave students confused about how to remain in good standing and worry about committing misconduct. Moreover, the multiple federal funding streams supporting K-12 programs and institutions of higher education have academic and behavioral rules buried in complicated legal language that will puzzle students and their parents. Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm realize how to address these matters to keep Sarasota metropolitan students out of trouble.
Sarasota Metropolitan Area Schools
No matter the grade or program level in Sarasota metropolitan area schools, you can obtain trustworthy support. Reliable representation is provided for students at the following colleges and universities:
- Eckerd College
- Everglades University
- Keiser University
- New College of Florida
- Schiller International University
- State College of Florida Sarasota-Manatee
- St. Petersburg College
- University of South Florida (USF) Sarasota-Manatee
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm's student defense team are on hand to provide a successful defense to students in graduate, medical, and specialty programs across the Sarasota metropolitan area, including:
- Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
- East-West College of Natural Medicine
- Florida State University College of Medicine
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Ringling College of Art and Design
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm's student defense team can also effectively defend students in K-12 programs in city and county public school districts across the Sarasota metropolitan area, such as:
- Ashton Elementary School
- Booker Middle School
- Brookside Middle School
- Fruitville Elementary School
- Gulf Gate Elementary School
- Lakeview Elementary School
- Mcintosh Middle School
- Phillippi Shore Elementary School
- Riverview High School
- Sarasota High School
- Southside Elementary School
- Tatum Ridge Elementary School
Students in private elementary and secondary schools across the Sarasota metropolitan area can also retain the help of student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm, including those attending:
- Bay Haven School of Basics Plus
- Imagine School at Palmer Ranch
- Oak Park School
- Sarasota Academy of the Arts
- Sarasota Military Academy
- Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences
- Sarasota Suncoast Academy
- Suncoast School for Innovative Studies
- Suncoast Polytechnical High School
Disciplinary Defense in the Sarasota Metropolitan Area
Schools and educational programs all have rules governing academics, residence halls, classroom etiquette, extra circular activity, and even relationships between students. Each can categorize misconduct slightly differently, but there are generally three types detailed in a school's code of conduct:
- Academic misconduct
- Non-academic misconduct
- Title IX and sexual misconduct
Institutions catering to students of any age or academic level are under immense scrutiny to maintain their pristine reputations. Commitments to federal funding streams also mean that disciplinary boards will swiftly address and adjudicate allegations. The potential sanctions can severely harm your child's future, including situations involving plagiarism and classroom misbehavior or research misconduct and violations of a school's guest policy. No matter the issue, parents can expect that Lento and his team will defend their child under circumstances in the following areas.
Academic Progression Issues
Students must adhere to an institution's academic guidelines to remain eligible for funding so a school can sustain its accreditation. Therefore, K-12 schools and higher education programs have rigorous rules on what represents satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and the consequences for students for failing to meet the minimum requirements.
For instance, Everglades University defines its tolerances for cumulative grade point average (GPA), the number of credit hours taken per semester, the course completion rate, and the graduation timeframe. Primary and secondary schools like those within the Sarasota County School District also have requirements for students to advance to the next grade or graduate with a high school diploma.
Students risk disciplinary action like probation, suspension, and expulsion if they don't meet the mark. Yet, schools sometimes misuse policies and commonly neglect a student's extenuating circumstances. Appealing academic probation, remediation, or other corrective action is possible, but students don't have the negotiation tactics necessary to settle with a school's dean, principal, or academic advisor. Fortunately, Joseph D. Lento can represent you or your child to defeat academic discipline.
Academic Misconduct Issues
The keystone of any educational program is academic integrity. Keiser University, Florida State University College of Medicine, and all other schools in the Sarasota metropolitan area have codes of conduct addressing dishonesty in the educational process. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Bribery
- Cheating
- Collusion
- Computer and network misuse
- Duplicate submissions
- Misrepresentation
- Plagiarism
- Research misconduct
- Unauthorized collaboration
Academic dishonesty undermines instruction and the learning process. While schools justly punish those who destabilize academic rules, disciplinary boards may pursue investigations on students on questionable evidence that lead to unfair academic misconduct charges.
Students found responsible for alleged violations face a steep downfall. Since disciplinary action remains on a student's record—the same record colleges and employers will review—it will hinder future opportunities upon graduation. To mitigate the consequences that sanctions and even allegations will have on your reputation and future, consult with Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm to defeat unwarranted academic misconduct accusations.
Non-Academic Misconduct Issues
Schools of any degree are responsible for maintaining an organized, disruption-free setting conducive to learning. While severe infractions concerning violence, illegal substances, and the destruction of property typically end in an immediate suspension or expulsion, anything disturbing the learning environment will garner punitive action.
For example, USF maintains policies prohibiting certain items and behaviors in all student housing and campus buildings. Students will violate the agreement they make the school upon enrolling if they:
- Burn candles of incense
- Cook food in dorm bedrooms or suites
- Consume alcoholic beverages in public areas
- Duplicate dorm room keys
- Have dorm room microwaves above 1,000 watts
- Heat or cool rooms with electric or portable units
- Host large gatherings in dorm rooms
- Obstruct stairwells or corridors
- Park in unauthorized areas
- Possess "excessive amounts" of alcohol in private areas
- Prop open exterior doors
- Violate guest policies
Although students may be punished at any level of education for unnecessary disturbances, school officials sometimes mischaracterize them. Unconventional actions or behaviors don't always need reprimand, especially when there is a misunderstanding or a good excuse. Therefore, it's important to retain premier student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento to defend your child against unsubstantiated misconduct charges.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct
Federal Title IX regulations require schools to receive federal funding to address sex and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Every college and post-graduate program will have a Title IX coordinator supervising the grievance procedure and the investigative, hearing, and sanctioning phases.
The Title IX policy for St. Petersburg College states the following are also violations:
- Bullying
- Coercion
- Dating/domestic violence
- Hazing
- Intimidation
- Retaliation
- Stalking
- Solicitation
K-12 schools have regulations governing sexual misconduct and Title IX violations, too. While similar to those at colleges and universities, the process is slightly different. For instance, like all primary and secondary school districts, Riverview High School hosts optional live hearings, and a student's parents or guardians are involved throughout the process.
One of the most significant issues surrounding Title IX regulations is their constant fluctuations. Unfortunately, they change by prevailing political winds and are often shaped by public opinion. To have confidence in how to proceed if your child is caught in the Title IX process, get assistance from Joseph D. Lento and the student defense team at the Lento Law Firm.
Student Defense Advisor Value Proposition
Novice attorneys usually begin their defense of a student by pressuring them and their parents to pursue an expensive lawsuit against the school. While formal proceedings are a potential course of action to keep students in school, litigation is rarely necessary. Furthermore, competency in the courtroom doesn't always convert into an efficient defense against misconduct allegations.
The goal for students and their dedicated parents should be speedy, solid, negotiated relief from unfair sanctions, not enduring legal action. Joseph D. Lento has repeatedly dealt with members of a school's OGC on behalf of students and resolved matters outside formal disciplinary hearings. His skills keep a student focused on their studies and gives parents peace of mind. Even if your child cannot have representation present during the school disciplinary process, the student defense team at the Lento Law Firm can impart with you the knowledge to defend you or your student child against severe punishments.
Hiring student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento equips you with the tools your child needs to fight back against school discipline. Call 888-535-3686 today, or visit the confidential online consultation form.
