School discipline
Suspensions, expulsions and the hearing in between
When a school wants to remove your child for more than a few days, it has to follow a process, and you have a part in it. The notice usually comes fast and the hearing follows soon after. What you do in the first days matters most.
We ask for the records, talk to your child with you, and prepare you for the hearing. If your child has a disability, or the school should have suspected one, the school has to look at that first.
What we do when the school calls
Discipline moves faster than anything else we handle. These are the steps we take first.
Get the records
The incident reports, statements and video the school is relying on, asked for in writing.
Hear your child’s side
A calm conversation with you in the room, before anyone else asks again.
The manifestation review
For a student with a disability, a meeting on whether the behavior came from it.
The hearing
We stand beside you and your child, question the evidence and speak to the panel.
Alternatives
A shorter removal, a transfer, or a plan for support instead of time out of school.
Afterwards
Clearing the record where possible, and an appeal when the decision was wrong.
What parents ask about school discipline
Should my child write a statement for the school?
Not before you’ve talked to someone. Ask the school for time, and call us. A statement written in a hurry is hard to take back.
My child has an IEP. Does that change anything?
Yes. Before a long removal, the school has to hold a review of whether the behavior was caused by the disability, or by the school not following the IEP.
Can the police be involved?
Sometimes. If there’s a police matter as well as a school one, we’ll tell you, and help you find a criminal defense lawyer if you need one. We don’t handle criminal cases ourselves.
How soon should we call?
The same day the school calls, if you can. The deadlines in discipline cases are short, and they vary by state.
The school called today. Call us today.
Tell us what the notice says and when the hearing is. We’ll tell you what to ask for before then.
A first call doesn’t make us your lawyers; a signed engagement letter does.