Removing a student from Bedford Elementary or High School and placing them in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) is a monumental decision. Before such action occurs, it is critical that the student and their guardians are entitled to due process.
The LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team will ensure that you or your student does not become the victim of hasty, heavy-handed discipline. We will take a leading role in the DAEP process and are familiar with how the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (ISD) handles disciplinary matters, including those that may lead to DAEP placement.
When students are placed in an alternative education program, their reputation, confidence, social development, and ability to learn may take a permanent hit. This is why we fight for more humane, level-headed resolutions for students like yours. Call LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to find out how our Student Defense Team will fight for the best possible outcome to an unfortunate situation.
Texas Law Generally Leaves Disciplinary Decisions Up to Your School or District
Section 37.001 of the Texas Education Code empowers individual schools to establish their codes of conduct, detailing which behaviors are prohibited. Therefore, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (ISD) Student Code of Conduct is a critically important document when we seek a resolution that protects your student’s reputation and spares them from overly punitive discipline.
This Code of Conduct covers a broad range of issues that pertain directly to DAEP decisions, including:
- Defining student misconduct
- Establishing the range of disciplinary consequences
- Identifying potential grounds for removal
- Outlining the processes by which students are removed and assigned to a DAEP
- Establishing students’ rights during the disciplinary process
Students attending elementary and high schools in Bedford, Hurst, Euless, and segments of Arlington, Fort Worth, Colleyville, and North Richland Hills may be subject to this Code of Conduct.
DAEPs for Students Removed from their Elementary or High Schools in Bedford
For DAEP purposes, an elementary student is in grades one through six, while secondary students are in grades seven through 12. If you or your student do not successfully fight their removal from their current school, they may be reassigned to:
- A Secondary Special Opportunity School (SOS) is a long-term DAEP reserved for juniors and seniors whose decision-makers determine that they must correct their behaviorto comply with the Student Code of Conduct.
- An Elementary Special Opportunity School is also a long-term program aimed more at instilling corrective behaviors and social skills than academics.
- A Crossroads program, which is a short-term, off-campus DAEP “for [elementary] students who lack the motivation to conduct themselves in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.”
Elementary students assigned to DAEP in Bedford are generally assigned to the Stonegate Elementary campus, while high schoolers are generally assigned to the KEYS High School campus.
The list of offenses prohibited by the Student Code of Conduct determines which students might be relegated to these programs.
Behaviors Prohibited by the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct governing Bedford (p.18) details several offenses that could lead to placement in a DAEP, which include:
- Engaging in a felony-level act, even if off school property
- Assault
- Criminal mischief
- Gang or fraternity involvement
- Threatening to share or sharing explicit visual media of a minor
- Group bullying, inciting violence through bullying, or bullying that contributes to another student attempting or committing suicide
Alleged offenses that could lead to a student being placed in a DAEP fall into two categories. These offenses may either be grounds for mandatory removal, or may instead expose the student to the campus behavior coordinator’s or superintendent’s discretion about whether to assign the student to a DAEP.
Some Offenses Trigger Mandatory Removal
While school districts often have discretion in handling disciplinary matters, state law mandates that a student must be placed in DAEP if they’re found responsible for:
- Certain sexual offenses
- Committing any offense that could be punishable as a felony
- Selling, possessing, or delivering certain controlled substances
- Public lewdness or indecent exposure
- Committing a federal firearms violation under a certain age
- Making certain false alarms or reports, including but not limited to terroristic threats
- Certain other offenses that Texas authorities maintain a zero-tolerance stance towards
Even though these offenses can be grounds for mandatory assignment to a DAEP, there can be an element of subjectivity in these cases. If you believe or have been told that your student is subject to mandatory enrollment in a DAEP, that may not be the case. Contact the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team so we can evaluate your student’s circumstances and explain any resolutions that could be available to you.
In Many Cases, the Campus Behavior Coordinator Has the Power to Assign a Student to a DAEP (or Enact a Less Severe Resolution)
Many students are placed in DAEPs not by mandate, but through the discretion of a campus behavior coordinator. When the coordinator is determining whether DAEP is appropriate, they must consider mitigating factors such as:
- Whether the student was motivated by self-defense or other types of self-protection
- Whether the student intended to engage in the activity
- The student’s disciplinary history
- Any disability that may have contributed to the student’s behavior
- Whether the student is homeless
We believe every student, including those in Bedford, should be treated compassionately. These are young people prone to making mistakes, and the DAEP process should reflect this unavoidable fact.
Why DAEP Placement Can Have a Devastating Effect on the Student
No parent or guardian envisions their student being placed in an alternative educational institution. DAEP placement is typically a sign that something has gone seriously wrong, and we fight to help students in Bedford avoid this outcome because:
- DAEP placement can inhibit your student’s education: Alternative educational settings tend to focus more on containing and correcting perceived bad behavior. A student’s actual education, therefore, can fall by the wayside when they are assigned to a DAEP in Bedford or elsewhere.
- The stigma of DAEP placement can weigh heavily on the student. At a time when young people’s mental health is an urgent concern, taking a student away from their friends and educational support network can prove devastating.
- We know that one interaction with DAEP can foretell more in the future: The statistics tell us that assigning a student to DAEP increases the likelihood of them facing more disciplinary problems in the future.
Though college boards do not always see DAEP assignments, it’s far from unheard of for a DAEP assignment to prevent a student from being accepted into certain schools. This is one way a single mistake might directly affect the student’s future.
Generally speaking, we aim to help students in Texas avoid DAEPs. Whether they attend Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy, Bedford Junior High, Harwood Junior High, Bedford Heights Elementary, or any other school in the area, your student has a right to due process. We also believe they have a right not to be subjected to overly punitive consequences if they make one or more mistakes—DAEP placement, in many cases, is an overly punitive response.
The DAEP Placement Process Can Be Complex and Behavior-Specific. Let Us Make Sense of It for You.
Navigating the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District’s policies regarding DAEP placement is no easy task. These policies can vary based on the specific offense a student is accused of, and each school may have unique protocols for handling cases of potential DAEP placement.
An attorney from LLF National Law Firm will explain DAEP procedures in a way you and your student can easily understand. While we will provide you with school-specific details, we know that the process generally involves:
- The instigation of DAEP placement by a campus behavior coordinator: Campus behavior coordinators generally make the call to remove a student from their regular classroom. However, a teacher may sometimes remove the student. They may make this decision based on mandates consistent with Texas law or through their own discretion.
- A conference to discuss the issue: Once a student has been removed from the classroom and faces a potential DAEP assignment, the appropriate administrator must schedule a conference within three days of the removal. Parents, guardians, the campus behavior coordinator, and teachers are generally involved in this conference. The student and their guardian are entitled to learn the reason(s) for the removal and an opportunity to respond to those reasons.
- Writing of a placement order: After the conference, the school district’s representative will decide whether to follow through with the placement order. The campus behavior coordinator typically writes the placement order, and the student and their guardian receive a copy.
- Request for an appeal: Upon completing the DAEP intake conference, the student, their parent, or another guardian can submit a written request to appeal the order. The District Level Appeal Committee is tasked with reviewing the appeal request and must complete its review within seven school days of receiving it. The Appeal Committee’s ruling is considered final.
Though Texas law can make it difficult to appeal a DAEP placement through the courts, the LLF National Law Firm prides itself on providing our clients a comprehensive array of options. We will explain how we can fight for your student, which could mean taking steps beyond the school district’s appeal process.
Allow our team to assist your student by:
- Being their advocate in all proceedings with their school, the school district, and any other parties involved in the case
- Preparing you and your student for all proceedings ahead, explaining what you should and should not do to promote a positive outcome
- Making your student’s case during the initial DAEP conference
- Leading any necessary appeals on your student’s behalf
Many students and guardians we assist do not have the time or knowledge to represent themselves effectively. Let LLF National Law Firm lend our resources, experience, and knowledge of the Texas Education Code to you and your student.
We Also Assist Students Facing Possible Expulsion or Placement in a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP)
Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code details several responses to certain behavioral offenses, and two of the most serious responses are expulsion and placement in a juvenile justice alternative education program.
These actions generally arise when a student has committed a serious offense that involves the criminal justice system, which can include:
- Firearms offenses
- Certain aggravated forms of assault
- Sexual assault
- Felony drug offenses
- Aggravated kidnapping
Even if a student is not charged criminally, a Bedford school may decide that expulsion or JJAEP placement is warranted.
The adverse effects of expulsion or placement in a JJAEP are similar to those of DAEP placement, though the stigma of expulsion and JJAEP placement can be even more severe. The LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team will evaluate your student’s circumstances and seek to prevent these life-altering punishments.
The LLF National Law Firm Prioritizes Student Defense
We do not advise that you trust any teacher, campus behavior coordinator, or superintendent to make the right decision for your student. Nobody involved in the Bedford school system can advocate for your student with the same passion that you will, and LLF National Law Firm will match the level of care you have for your student.
Our assistance is critical because we:
- Have a deep knowledge of the Texas Education Code
- Deal regularly with campus behavior coordinators, superintendents, and others who oversee critical DAEP decisions
- Have helped many students avoid serious adverse consequences, including DAEP placement
- Take full advantage of conferences, appeal opportunities, and the other junctures that can spare students from DAEP placement
In a word, the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team is experienced. We have the technical knowledge, negotiation skills, and willpower to enact the outcomes that students deserve.
Student Defense Issues Cannot Wait. Call LLF National Law Firm Today.
Avoiding DAEP should be the goal for every student, parent, and guardian. For most students, alternative education is far too harsh a punishment, and DAEP placement can do far more harm than good. Let us fight for a better resolution on your student’s behalf.
We have an office in Dallas and offer in-person service that you may not receive from the billboard lawyers. We will assist you in Bedford, as we believe in-person representation is critical with issues as serious as DAEP placement.
Call LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. We will answer your questions, gather critical information about your circumstances, and explain what comes next.