Students face challenges all the time in school. Many schools require their students to meet high standards and fail to provide them with the tools to meet those standards. When this happens, even the most well-intentioned student may begin behaving differently, and schools are quick to punish such students. Unfortunately, many schools do not consider the student's background or life experiences before laying blame. Instead, they see a violation and punish without doing any due diligence into the conduct.
Punishments can range from anything like a verbal warning to full expulsion from the school. Whether your student is a kindergartener or college freshman, they deserve to be represented by an experienced attorney-advisor who can guarantee the best possible outcome for this conduct code violation accusation. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm will help ensure your child's school upholds its right to due process and does not set out to unnecessarily punish your child. Call our offices today.
El Paso Metro Area
The El Paso metropolitan area is the sixth largest city in Texas and is made up of several neighborhoods, including:
- Angel's Triangle
- Chihuahuita
- Downtown El Paso
- Duranguito
- El Segundo Barrio
- Kern Place
- Mesquite Hills
- Mountain View
- North Hills
- Northeast El Paso
- Park Foothills
- Sunset Heights
- Tierra Del Este
- Vista Del Sol
- Ysleta
Many U.S. attorneys tend to focus their practice in one particular town or state and rarely veer away from it, finding it easier to localize than take on more complex practices and metropolitans. But not Attorney Lento. Attorney Lento understands how important it is to provide students with procedural advice when faced with a code of conduct violation accusation. As such, he has dedicated a portion of his practice to helping students navigate these allegations no matter what state the allegations arose in. Attorney Lento truly understands the complexities of conduct violation accusations and the subsequent procedures the school will initiate. Working with Attorney Lento may mean the difference between expulsion and a simple written reprimand.
El Paso Metro Area Student Concerns
Across the country, students from kindergarten to college face issues concerning their grades, relationships with other students, teachers, and the administration. But many students in the El Paso metropolitan area also face additional concerns, like language barriers, immigration fears, and racism. The El Paso metropolitan area is one of the larger cities in Texas and sits right on the Mexican border. As such, many students are transplants from Mexico who juggle learning a new language, food, and housing security and navigating how to make new friends with their peers. These matters can be difficult to go through on their own, but when pooled together, they can become seriously overwhelming for any student. As such, these students may begin to exhibit behaviors that can easily be inaccurately described as disciplinary issues. Having the advice of an attorney-advisor will ensure your student is not being punished for something that can be explained away.
El Paso Metro Area Schools
Attorney Lento and Lento Law Firm are available to help students in every school in the El Paso metropolitan area who are facing conduct violation accusations. They offer an exceptional defense no matter what grade or program your student is in.
Attorney Lento will provide student defense advice for students at the following universities and colleges in El Paso:
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- Southwest University at El Paso
- Western Technical College
- Pima Medical Institute – El Paso
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – El Paso
- El Paso Community College
- Franklin University
Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm are also available to represent graduate and professional students, including students at:
- L. Frederick Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- Vantage College El Paso Central
- Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing
Attorney Lento and Lento Law Firm are also extensively experienced in working with students in K-12 public school programs. Just a few of the districts Attorney Lento can offer advice in include:
- Anthony ISD School District
- Burnham Wood Charter School District
- Canutillo ISD School District
- Clint ISD School District
- El Paso ISD School District
- Fabens ISD School District
- Harmony Public Schools
- Socorro ISD School District
- Tornillo ISD School District
- Ysleta ISD School District
Other schools where Attorney Lento and his team are available include the following private schools:
- Radford School
- Loretto Academy
- Immanuel Christian School
- Mesilla Valley Christian School
- Jesus Chapel School
- Northeast Christian Academy
- St. Mark's Day School
- St. Raphael School
- St. Pius X. School
- St. Joseph's School
- Our Lady of the Valley School
- The Cherry Hill School
- New World Montessori School
- Western Hills Academy
Disciplinary Defense in the El Paso Metropolitan Area
Most children get into trouble at least once during school, but sometimes those issues are more complex than simply misbehaving in class. When more significant disciplinary problems occur, like allegations of academic misconduct, bullying, or harassment, the best way to nip the issue in the bud is to work with an attorney-advisor. Attorney advisors understand how nuanced these accusations can be and how important a strong defense is to ensure your student isn't unnecessarily punished. If your student has been accused of a disciplinary issue, contact Lento Law Firm today.
Academic Progression Issues
No matter your child's grade, they will always be expected to progress through their classes at a certain pace. Kindergarteners are supposed to be able to identify sight words before being sent to first grade, high schoolers must meet specific state reading standards before being allowed to graduate, and college students must take certain pre-requisite courses before progressing to the next more challenging course.
For instance, at the Cherry Hill Public Middle School, students must attain satisfactory grades to progress to the next grade. At El Paso Community College (EPCC), to stay in good standing, the student must have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. If the student falls below these minimums, they will be subject to academic probation at either school. Additionally, students who continuously breach these requirements could face harsher sanctions, like suspension and expulsion.
Unfortunately, most schools take the word of the instructor and never consider the instructor could have made a simple mistake that leveled the student's GPA. Further, schools see these failures as laziness rather than cries for help. As such, they rarely offer help unless parents or students request it.
Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm have helped students across the country in similar situations. If you or someone you love has been punished for minor academic progression issues, Attorney Lento can help speak to the school on your behalf.
Academic Misconduct Issues
All schools require students to meet specific academic integrity standards. At the University of Texas El Paso, students must refrain from committing academic dishonesty, like cheating, plagiarism, and submitting the same assignment to multiple classes for credit without permission. When students violate academic integrity, it takes away from the ability of the rest of the school to build new ideas, find creativity, and pursue knowledge. It is disrespectful to the effort of the students and staff who are practicing academic integrity.
Schools punish academic integrity violators so that the pursuit of academic freedom may continue. As such, students tend to be punished more severely than necessary for misunderstood actions and behaviors. To prevent your school from unfairly punishing you, an attorney-advisor will review the alleged conduct and find relevant evidence and witness testimony to defend your case. Additionally, they will ensure the school does not trample your rights by not offering you actual due process and subjecting you to punishments before hearing your side of the story.
Behavioral Misconduct Issues
At the beginning of every school year, students will be given a copy of their school's student handbook. This handbook includes a code of conduct that students are expected to abide by. It also outlines the possible behaviors that the school could punish. Generally, academic misconduct issues do not fall within most schools' purview of behavioral problems. They are considered separate issues, so students who exhibit violent or disruptive behavior will be punished under the disciplinary conduct section of the school's student handbook. For instance, in the Harmony Public Schools district in the El Paso metropolitan area, students who are caught committing the following acts will be punished:
- Bullying
- Accessing restricted areas
- Causing damage to school property
- Failing to report known hazing or harassment
- Abusing over-the-counter drugs
- Being, or becoming, a member of a school gang
- Indecently exposing a private body party
- Skipping class without permission from an administrator
- Threatening school personnel
- Committing arson
- Burglarizing a motor vehicle on campus
Punishments include anything from lunch detention and grade reductions to suspension and expulsion. The severity of the consequence is meant to be in direct correlation to the severity of the behavior committed. If you skip class once, you should not be expelled. Instead, you should receive a lunch or Saturday detention to curb the behavior. But if you were to attack another student or teacher unprovoked, the punishment would be much harsher.
Sadly, there are instances where students are falsely accused of committing such disruptive behavior without much evidence to support it. Additionally, there are times when behavior that is witnessed is grossly exaggerated. When this happens, students are punished unnecessarily. Contacting an attorney advisor from the moment you learn of the accusations is the only way to ensure you are not being subject to a witch hunt or fictitious spewings of the rumor mill. Behavior misconduct accusations can have long-lasting effects and should be addressed swiftly.
Title IX Sexual Misconduct Issues
All schools that receive federal funding in the United States must follow Title IX regulations. Title IX regulations require schools to investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination based on gender, including sexual misconduct accusations, according to its specific rules. Conduct under Title IX might include sexual harassment or assault, stalking, intimate partner violence, and domestic violence. It might also include retaliatory behavior related to complaining about such conduct.
Students who are accused of Title IX violations will be suspended or expelled from the school. Additionally, these students will face other long-lasting consequences, like mental health issues, loss of on-campus privileges, and reputational harm. This is especially shocking for students who are falsely accused, whether because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or because of a vindictive alleged victim. As such, retaining a skilled attorney-advisor is key to help avoid unnecessary charges and negative consequences the student might experience after being accused of a Title IX violation.
School Discipline Defense Attorney-Advisor Value
Schools rarely understand a student's background or experiences before accusing them of disciplinary issues like the ones described above. Because of this, students are highly vulnerable to false accusations and unfair proceedings that violate their due process rights.
Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law firm have spent years helping students accused of academic misconduct, disciplinary actions, or academic progression issues. They understand your reputation's importance to the rest of your life and future career prospects. They will work tirelessly to ensure your school follows its own outlined procedures during your hearing.
Unfortunately, many students and parents decide to work their defense themselves. Being insufficiently prepared for one of these hearings can have disastrous effects on the student's future. For instance, if the student ends up being dismissed or suspended, the punishment is noted on their final transcript. Getting into another school or pursuing another program after yours ends will be incredibly difficult to secure because you will have to explain the issue on every application and interview.
The best assurance for your future is working with Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online. Lento Law Firm can help.
