Michael L. Fell can serve as a powerful advocate for fair treatment during your child’s school expulsion hearing.

If your child has been accused of fighting, gang activity, drug use, drug dealing, vandalism, or some other legal infraction or violation of their school’s code of conduct, they may face serious school discipline up to and including expulsion.

Needless to say, being expelled can have a detrimental impact on your child’s future. Depending on the timing of the expulsion, they may miss vital coursework or exams and perhaps even end up having to repeat a grade.

The good news is, your child is entitled to due process rights when facing a school disciplinary hearing.

You can—and should—contest your child’s expulsion with help from an experienced and dedicated juvenile defense attorney like Michael L. Fell. After many years of experience and countless successful hearings, Attorney Fell has developed considerable expertise in school administrative hearings. You can rely on him to guide you through every step of the process:

Preparing for the Hearing: Your child’s school should provide a notice of their plan to hold an expulsion hearing at least 10 days in advance. At this point, you should immediately take action and call Michael L. Fell for assistance. Attorney Fell will carefully review the evidence against your child and investigate to see if any additional witnesses or evidence may be found for their defense.

Attending the Hearing: During a school administrative hearing, your child is entitled to have an attorney present. However, schools differ in their attitude towards attorney participation. Some may allow the attorney to speak on the child’s behalf, while others may not. In any case, your child is entitled to present witnesses and evidence for their defense and have their case considered impartially and fairly during the hearing. Having an attorney present helps ensure that these rights are respected by the school disciplinary board, and provides your child with the best possible chance of a fair and favorable outcome to the hearing.

Appealing an Expulsion: If you did not retain an attorney for your initial school administrative hearing, it is possible that their rights may have been violated by school administrators and they may have been wrongfully or unfairly expelled. If this is the case, Attorney Fell can help you file an appeal within 30 days of the decision to expel your child. The appeal will allow your child’s case to be reviewed by the county board of education. The expulsion may be reversed or remanded back to the school for a new hearing if the board of education determines that:

• The school board acted in excess of its jurisdiction
• Your child did not receive a fair hearing
• The school board was prejudiced against your child
• Relevant material evidence was improperly excluded from the hearing

Need Help with a School Disciplinary Hearing?

If your child is facing school discipline of any kind, remember that Michael L. Fell and his experienced legal team are here to help. Call us at (949) 585-9055 now to learn more about your child’s rights when facing school discipline.