Has Your Child Been Expelled from School?

In the 1960's, '70s, and '80s, students who needed disciplining often were sent into counseling instead of being suspended or expelled from school. In the 1990s and beyond, however, student violence, sexual assault, and harassment have led to more and more kids being suspended or expelled from their schools. "Zero tolerance" has become the watchword of the day.

Find Out the Facts

Although state laws vary, most school districts cannot expel a student immediately without notifying the student's parents first and providing them with an opportunity to respond. Here's what you can do:

Make an appointment with the school's principal if your son was severely disciplined.

Find out why such action was taken and whether he received any less severe disciplinary punishment before this.Attend Any Hearing

The length of expulsions differs. If the punishment is for more than a few days, a disciplinary committee must hold a hearing. The panel will review the charges and determine if the penalty is appropriate. You and your child should go to this hearing. He should be given the chance to respond to the charges, and you may also be given a chance to speak on his behalf.

If it is evident that your child feels remorse about what he did, or if it is clear that the punishment is inappropriate given the level of the offense, the hearing panel may reduce the punishment from expulsion to a less severe one, such as limiting or prohibiting participation in extra-curricular activities.

Appealing Your Case

You have a right to appeal this decision to the full school board if you are dissatisfied with the results of the hearing. You must request the appeal hearing within a specific time period, usually 30 days. Although school-board hearings are less formal than a court proceeding, most states allow a student to have a lawyer or other spokesperson at this hearing. In cases where there may be a language barrier, a translator may be provided.