My son got a 10-day suspension because he’s accused of assaulting a staff member, which supposedly happened off school grounds. It was after school, across the street, and the person didn’t identify himself—just held a phone up in my son’s face. My son thought it was a stranger and knocked the phone away, then walked off. Now there’s a hearing, and they’re talking about expulsion. Anyone know what we should do to prepare?
That’s a tricky situation! Do you have any witnesses or know if there’s video footage?
Denny said:
That’s a tricky situation! Do you have any witnesses or know if there’s video footage?
We’re checking on that now. Hoping some bystanders saw something.
Denny said:
That’s a tricky situation! Do you have any witnesses or know if there’s video footage?
If you can, get any statements from witnesses. It’ll help your case a lot.
Make sure to read the school’s code of conduct. They usually have rules on what’s allowed for off-campus behavior.
Marley said:
Make sure to read the school’s code of conduct. They usually have rules on what’s allowed for off-campus behavior.
Good idea. We’ll look through it and see what it says about incidents off school grounds.
Marley said:
Make sure to read the school’s code of conduct. They usually have rules on what’s allowed for off-campus behavior.
Some schools overreach on off-campus stuff. They might be stretching their policy.
Was the person in question actually a staff member? Sounds weird that he wouldn’t identify himself.
Jori said:
Was the person in question actually a staff member? Sounds weird that he wouldn’t identify himself.
Yes, turns out he’s a dean, but there was no way my son would’ve known that at the time.
Jori said:
Was the person in question actually a staff member? Sounds weird that he wouldn’t identify himself.
If he didn’t identify himself, you should definitely bring that up. It’s a major part of the context.
Prepare a statement from your son’s perspective. Be clear about why he reacted that way—it could help.
Zan said:
Prepare a statement from your son’s perspective. Be clear about why he reacted that way—it could help.
Good idea, we’ll work on that. He was just looking out for his safety.
If you can afford it, maybe consult a lawyer who handles school expulsion cases? They know how to navigate these hearings.
esleystanley said:
If you can afford it, maybe consult a lawyer who handles school expulsion cases? They know how to navigate these hearings.
We’re considering it, but the fees are high. Trying to see what we can do on our own first.