When a high school student in Florida is accused of academic misconduct, it can have a dramatic effect on your child's ability to attend the college or university of their choice. Academic misconduct charges can include cheating on an exam, using unauthorized internet resources, plagiarism, cheating on college boards, the SAT, SAT subject matter exams, AP exams.
It is crucial that your high school student is afforded their due process rights, that the charges are clearly defined, that the process to investigate the charges is fair and that any resolution or sanction is proportionate and appropriate to the offense. In particular, dealing with the college boards requires a detailed understanding of the process to achieve the best possible outcome.
The college boards takes misconduct extremely seriously and often acts with a heavy hand in imposing sanctions. An experienced attorney advisor will be your high school student's best ally to help defend against academic misconduct charges and they should be involved from as early as possible in the case.
Florida high schools where Joseph D. Lento can help as your child's student's academic misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following school districts:
A
- Alachua County Public Schools
B
- Baker County School District
- Bay District Schools
- Bradford County School District
- Brevard Public Schools
- Broward County Public Schools
C
- Calhoun County School District
- Charlotte County Public Schools
- Citrus County Schools
- Clay County Schools
- Collier County Public Schools
- Columbia County Schools
D
- DeSoto School District
- Dixie County School District
- Duval County Public Schools
E
- Escambia County School District
F
- Flagler County Public Schools
- Franklin County Schools
G
- Gadsden County School District
- Gilchrist County School District
- Glades County School District
- Gulf County Schools
H
- Hamilton County School District
- Hardee County School District
- Hendry County Schools
- Hernando County School Board
- Highlands County School Board
- Hillsborough County Public Schools
- Holmes County School District
I
- Indian River County School District
J
- Jackson County School District
- Jefferson County School District
L
- Lafayette County School District
- Lake County Schools
- Lee County School District
- Leon County Schools
- Levy County School Board
- Liberty County School Board
M
- Madison County Schools
- Manatee County School District
- Marion County Public Schools
- Martin County School Board
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Monroe County School District
N
- Nassau County School District
O
- Okaloosa County School District
- Okeechobee County School Board
- Orange County Public Schools
- Osceola County School District
P
- Palm Beach County School District
- Pasco County Schools
- Pinellas County Schools
- Polk County Public Schools, Florida
- Putnam County School District
S
- Santa Rosa County School District
- Sarasota County Schools
- Seminole County Public Schools
- Johns County School District
- Lucie Public Schools
- Sumter County School Board
- Suwannee County School District
T
- Taylor County School District
U
- Union County School Board
V
- Volusia County Schools
W
- Wakulla County School Board
- Walton County School District
- Washington County School District
Special School Districts
- Alexander D. Henderson University School
- Dozier/Okeechobee School District
- Eckerd Youth District
- Florida A&M Developmental Research School
- Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
- K. Yonge Developmental Research School
It is critical to make certain academic misconduct charges at your child's Florida high school are handled properly and that the accused student's interests and rights are protected from as early as possible during the investigative and disciplinary process. One reason, among many, is because even at high schools where a finding of responsibility for academic misconduct is made at a hearing, the investigation will set the stage for what the hearing panel is provided prior to a hearing (and what the hearing panel will in large part rely on at a hearing), and at high schools where the finding of responsibility is made solely through the investigative process, what takes place during the investigation itself will determine whether the accused student is found responsible or not responsible for academic misconduct.
Unfortunately, some parents make the mistake of not taking the necessary precautions as soon as possible when their child is accused of academic misconduct. Some people will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," their school will be fair and impartial and will arrive at the truth. In a perfect world this may be the case, but in a perfect world, being called to answer for alleged academic misconduct would not exist.
Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at schools throughout the nation for many years, Joseph D. Lento knows how important it is to mount the strongest defense because he understands that an accused high school student's academic future is on the line. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as an academic misconduct advisor to high school students facing investigations and disciplinary cases in Florida and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National High School Academic Misconduct Defense Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.