When a high school student in Rhode Island 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 Board Assessments, 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 used to investigate the charges is fair and that any resolution or sanction is proportionate and appropriate to the offense.
In particular, interacting with the College Board requires a detailed understanding of the process to achieve the best possible outcome. The college board 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 defend against academic misconduct charges and they should be involved as early as possible in the case.
Rhode Island 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
- Barrington School District
- Bristol Warren Regional School District
- Burrillville School District
B
- Central Falls School District
- Chariho Regional School District
- Coventry School District
- Cranston Public Schools
- Cumberland School District
C
- East Greenwich School District
- East Providence School District
- Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District
F
- Foster Elementary School District
- Foster-Glocester Regional School District
G
- Glocester School District
J
- Jamestown School District
- Johnston School District
L
- Lincoln School District
- Little Compton School District
M
- Middletown School District
N
- Narragansett School District
- New Shoreham School District
- Newport School District
- North Kingstown School District
- North Providence School District
- North Smithfield School District
P
- Pawtucket School District
- Portsmouth School District
- Providence Public Schools
S
- Scituate School District
- Smithfield School District
- South Kingstown School District
T
- Tiverton School District
W
- Warwick Public Schools
- West Warwick School District
- Westerly School District
- Woonsocket School District
It is critical to make certain academic misconduct charges at your child's Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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.