We represent students who have been recommended by expulsion from area high and middle schools. Last year we helped dozens of area students facing expulsion hearings. Most school expulsion matters in our office are handled by school defense attorney Vicki Koutsogiannis.
Our school defenses cases begin after we are contacted by parents who are concerned about their child’s situation. Many times school expulsion recommendations are not supported by evidence or a student has been “singled out” for harsher discipline. We are also seeing more and more circumstances were students are recommended for expulsion for social media communications.
School expulsion hearings are held in the district office. Decisions to accept, or reject, the expulsion recommendation are made by appointed hearing officers, not regular school administration.
At the hearing we can help cross-examine any witnesses presented by the school, call defense witnesses on behalf of your child, and help otherwise argue for no punishment, or if appropriate, a sanction less than expulsion. Depending on the circumstances we can also incorporate professional investigators or other experts to assist with creating an accurate case and strong defense.
Depending on the allegations against your child, criminal charges can sometimes follow from an expulsion. If the conduct alleged would also be criminal (not just a school violation), it is even more important to secure representation. Students enjoy 5th amendment rights against self-incrimination, and we can advise on whether or not they need to make a statement or testify on their own behalf. Cases involving sexual assaults or distributing drugs or alcohol are prime candidates for this type of concern.
Because these hearings are quickly scheduled, we believe that they deserve urgent attention and want to begin work as quickly as possible. The first step for getting help is to contact our office for a consultation. Call 1-888-301-6004. We can help with expulsions from any area school, including River Bluff, Lexington, Irmo, Dutch Fork, White Knoll, or Spring Valley.