Parents in South Carolina's Columbia metropolitan area rely on the region's K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and other educational and vocational programs to prepare their children for success. Through rigorous testing and evaluations, students will be brought to their academic limits to graduate with flying colors and pursue further education or start a career.
If students seek to build a business, join a successful corporation, or work toward a four-year degree, each begins by obtaining a valuable high school diploma. Yet, students can easily become victims of harsh school disciplinary action. Even trustworthy, hard-working students can encounter obstacles hindering their journey toward a degree. For example, students can be challenged by:
- Breakdowns in peer relationships
- Emergencies with family or friends
- False misconduct accusations
- Illnesses or injuries
- Numerous extracurricular activities
- Stress from schoolwork
Many circumstances may misdirect students away from achievements. Fortunately, dedicated parents are there to help their children through times of duress with love and care. Though, parents may believe that school officials will be as forgiving as they are. After all, student success is the mission of the school, right? It may seem like the truth, but it's a slight misconception.
Schools rely on complex agreements with federal and state governments for funding and are partly linked to how they address academic and behavioral misconduct. Moreover, schools must maintain a pristine public perception, regardless of what grade levels or degree concentrations they offer. In reality, school administrators won't hesitate to make an example out of a student, a first-time offender or not. As more institutions shift toward zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, hurried grievance processes may not take into account a student's extenuating circumstances or even grant them due process.
Parents need to remember that disciplinary hearings aren't the same as a court of law. The constitutional protections afforded to those accused of rule-breaking and the accusers thereof don't exist in a school's hearings. Therefore, even minor misconduct allegations can quickly spin out of control and threaten a student's plans after graduation. Retaining a professional versed in the intricacies of student defense is the only way to ensure your student child doesn't face a serious downfall.
Student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento has represented countless students in the Columbia metropolitan area and across the country from punishment-happy school officials. He and his team at the Lento Law Firm understand how schools use aggressive tactics to manage academic and behavioral standards. As a parent, protect your child's future by contacting Joseph D. Lento immediately.
Columbia Metropolitan Area
Spread across Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, and Saluda counties, the Columbia metropolitan area hosts well over 800,000 residents. The central capital region of the Palmetto state is home to thousands of successful attorneys with premier experience in arbitration and adjudication. Many will attempt to persuade parents of beleaguered students through clever advertising that they are the only ones who can provide relief. However, that's an all-too-common mistaken belief.
As mentioned before, school officials work by different rules than a court of law. Trial lawyers seldom have the mediation skills to settle a student's disciplinary issues outside formal hearings. Legal action shouldn't be the first tactic in school disciplinary scenarios. Instead, you need someone with the finesse required to negotiate with school officials.
Joseph D. Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm have spent years building relationships with numerous school representatives in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). He recognizes the difference between proceedings courts and schools use to address infractions and will protect your student child's rights and future opportunities. Joseph D. Lento is no stranger to brokering beneficial resolutions on behalf of students, nor is he to the Columbia metropolitan area. The Lento Law Firm can deliver disciplinary relief in areas such as:
- Batesville-Leesville
- Camden
- Cayce
- Dentsville
- Forest Acres
- Horrell Hill
- Irmo
- Lexington
- Oak Grove
- Pontiac
- Red Bank
- Seven Oaks
- St. Andrews
- West Columbia
Hiring Joseph D. Lento and his student defense team means that parents can devote themselves to ensuring their children are healthy and focused on their work while disciplinary negotiations are underway. Whether your elementary school-age child faces detention or they're a second-year medical student stuck with remediation requirements, the Lento Law Firm can help.
Columbia Metropolitan Area Schools
Regardless of the grade, program level, or degree concentration in Columbia metropolitan area schools, you can obtain assistance from disciplinary action. Representation is available for students at the following colleges and universities:
- Allen University
- Benedict College
- Claflin University
- Columbia College
- Columbia International University
- Coker College
- Francis Marion University
- Lander University
- Morris College
- Newberry College
- Presbyterian College
- South Carolina State University
- University of South Carolina
- Voorhees College
- W.L. Bonner College
- Wingate University
- Winthrop University
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 Columbia metropolitan area, such as:
- C. Flora High School
- A. C. Moore Elementary School
- A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School
- Alcorn Middle School
- Annie Burnside Elementary School
- Arden Elementary School
- Bradley Elementary School
- Burton Pack Elementary School
- C. A. Johnson High School
- Carver-Lyon Elementary School
- Caughman Road Elementary School
- Columbia High School
- Crayton Middle School
- Dent Middle School
- Dreher High School
- E. L. Wright Middle School
- Forest Lake Elementary School
- Hand Middle School
- Harbison West Elementary School
- Heyward Gibbes Middle School
- Irmo High School
- L. B. Nelson Elementary School
- Logan Elementary School
- Longleaf Middle School
- North Springs Elementary
- Rice Creek Elementary School
- Richland Northeast High School
- Ridge View High School
- Rosewood Elementary School
- Satchel Ford Elementary School
- Sandlapper Elementary School
- Spring Valley High School
- St. Andrews Middle School
- Summit Parkway Middle
- W. A. Perry Middle School
- W. G. Sanders Middle School
- W.J. Keenan High School
Students in private elementary and secondary schools across the Columbia 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:
- Bethel Learning Center
- Ben Lippen School
- Cardinal Newman School
- Columbia Jewish Day School
- Covenant Classical Christian School
- Eastminster Day School
- Grace Christian School
- Hammond School
- Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
- Heritage Christian Academy
- Kilbourne Park Baptist Church Weekday Preschool
- Northside Christian Academy
- Saint Joseph Catholic School
- Sandhills School
- Shandon Presbyterian Child Development Center
- St. John Neumann Catholic Elementary School
- St. Peters Catholic School
- The Timmerman School
- Union United Methodist Church Kindergarten
- V. V. Reid School
Disciplinary Defense in the Columbia Metropolitan Area
Every educational institution has rules governing academics, classroom behavior, extracurricular activities, scholarships, and relationships between students and their teachers. Schools may categorize misconduct slightly differently by program or grade level, but there are three general types detailed in a school's code of conduct:
- Academic misconduct
- Non-academic misconduct
- Title IX and sexual misconduct
As mentioned before, educational institutions are under immense scrutiny to maintain a renowned reputation in the public eye. They also must remain eligible for federal funding streams and receive accreditation from regulatory bodies. All of this means that disciplinary boards will swiftly address and adjudicate allegations. Potential sanctions can harm your child's future, including cheating and interrupting class or unauthorized collaboration and defacing school property. No matter the issue, parents can expect that Lento and his team will defend their child through misconduct accusations in the following areas.
Academic Progression Issues
Students must follow an institution's academic guidelines from matriculation to graduation. To remain eligible for funding and accreditation, K-12 schools and higher education programs have policies defining what represents academic progression. These are typically referred to as satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and will detail the consequences for failing to meet minimum requirements.
For instance, Newberry College includes the thresholds of cumulative grade point average, semester credit hours, course completion rate, and the timeframe allowed for graduation within its SAP policy.
Students risk disciplinary action if SAP provisions aren't met, and will likely be addressed through academic probation, remediation, suspension, and expulsion. Yet, schools can misappropriate policies and fail to consider a student's extenuating circumstances when their academic performance takes a downturn. Submitting appeals of academic sanctions is possible, but students usually don't have the knowledge or negotiation tactics to settle with school officials. Joseph D. Lento can help your child defeat academic discipline and get them out of stressful disciplinary situations.
Academic Misconduct Issues
The foundation of any academic program is honesty. Columbia College, Francis Marion University, and C. A. Johnson High School have procedures addressing academic dishonesty. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Bribery
- Cheating
- Collusion
- Computer and network misuse
- Duplicate submissions
- Failure to progress
- Misrepresentation
- Plagiarism
- Research misconduct
- Unauthorized collaboration
Deceitful academic behavior undermines instruction and the student learning process. While schools justly reprimand those who breach academic rules, disciplinary boards may begin an investigation into plagiarism or any other allegation based on questionable information, thus leading to unfair misconduct charges.
Students found responsible for academic misconduct face long-lasting consequences. Since disciplinary action remains on a student's record, it will inhibit prospects like attending college, obtaining employment, and entering the civil service. To fight back against the consequences of allegations on a student's reputation and future, confer with Joseph D. Lento to defeat unwarranted academic misconduct claims.
Non-Academic Misconduct Issues
Although schools work hard to maintain overall academic standards, they also seek to govern everything happening on campus and during off-campus or sponsored events. While misconduct involving threats of violence, illegal substance abuse, and chronic truancy will typically lead to suspension or expulsion, anything that disturbs the learning environment will be punished. Students can even be punished for having too large a fish tank in their dorm room.
For example, South Carolina State University maintains policies prohibiting certain items and behaviors in all student housing and campus buildings. Students will violate the agreement they make with the school if they:
- Alter dorm room amenities or structures
- Replace college-supplied appliances
- Installing any fixtures
- Failure to keep dorm room and common areas clean
- Losing or damaging dorm room keys
- Soliciting business
- Parking in unauthorized spaces
- Violating guest policies
Students risk punishment inside and outside the classroom. While they must be careful to follow an institution's guidelines, school officials sometimes mischaracterize allegations. Unusual actions or behaviors don't always need admonishment, especially when there is an excuse for it or it's a genuine misunderstanding. Therefore, it's important to retain premier student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento to defend your child against misconduct charges of any kind.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct
Federal Title IX regulations require schools that receive federal funding to address sex and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Every school will have a Title IX coordinator directing the investigative, hearing, and sanctioning stages. The Title IX policy for the University of South Carolina explains that the following are also breaches of their policy:
- Bullying
- Coercion
- Dating/domestic violence
- Hazing
- Intimidation
- Retaliation
- Stalking
- Solicitation
K-12 schools, which also receive federal funds, have regulations addressing sexual misconduct and other Title IX violations. While similar to those at institutions of higher education, the process is marginally different. For instance, Northside Christian Academy, like other primary and secondary schools, both public and private, typically doesn't have live hearings, and a student's parents are involved in the process.
One of the most significant issues surrounding Title IX is that regulations are constantly in flux. 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 may tell parents of children stressed out by grievance procedures that legal motions are the best plan of action. Formal proceedings may be a potential means to keep your child in school and out of trouble, but litigation is a rarely-needed last-resort tactic. As previously mentioned, school disciplinary hearings are different from court proceedings. Consequentially, trial experience doesn't convert into an effective student defense strategy. The goal for students and their dedicated parents should be quick, negotiated, and stress-free relief from unwarranted misconduct allegations, not long, drawn-out legal remedies.
Joseph D. Lento has handled student cases by producing bespoke resolutions with members of a school's OGC on behalf of students and resolved matters outside formal hearings. His competencies keep students concentrating on their studies and lift an enormous weight off their parents' shoulders. Hiring student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento gives you and your student child a chance to fight back against school discipline. Call 888-535-3686 today, or visit the confidential online consultation form.
