Connecticut School Exclusion Hearing Lawyer

Stamford School Expulsion Attorney

Experienced Representation for Student Disciplinary Hearings

If your middle or high school student stands to be kicked out of school for a criminal offense or other incident, he or she has specific rights, including a formal hearing to contest expulsion or exclusion.

Stamford juvenile law attorney Daniel P. Weiner can fight the exclusion be effective in negotiating an alternative that does not adversely affect your child's schooling and future. He brings decades of experience in exclusion/expulsion hearings, and provides juvenile court defense for any criminal charges from a school-related incident.

Suspension, Exclusion and Expulsion From Connecticut Schools

The Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner has represented students facing disciplinary actions in public or private schools of Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Westport, Bridgeport and surrounding communities of Fairfield County. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your youth's rights and situation.

• Out-of-school suspension — School administrators have the discretion to suspend a student from school and school-related activities for up to 10 days.
• Exclusion/Expulsion — Only the school board can exclude your child from school for more than 10 days. The maximum exclusion is 180 school days (one full school year). Typically, the student will be suspended until a hearing is held.

Hearing Defense and Alternative Solutions

Attorney Weiner can work with school officials to try to have an exclusion or expulsion waived or shortened, especially if your kid has good grades and no previous discipline issues. If the school is seeking to remove your child for the school year, it is often possible to negotiate a shorter period of exclusion with review after a fixed time period.

In a hearing, your student has the right to (a) have a lawyer present; (b) present his or her side of the story, including mitigating factors, witnesses to the incident and character witnesses; and (c) cross-examine the victim/accuser and witnesses.

Grounds for Exclusion or Expulsion

Students can be suspended, excluded or expelled for violating school policies, disrupting the educational process or endangering other students or staff. It applies to acts on school grounds or, under stricter criteria, acts off school grounds, on a school bus or at a bus stop.

Most exclusions/expulsions involve bringing deadly weapons to school (gun or knife), possessing or selling drugs on school grounds, or fights or assaults resulting in bodily harm. Other grounds for exclusion include serious threats, harassment or bullying; theft, burglary or property damage; sex offenses and violent crimes (e.g., bomb threat, arson, stabbing); and policy violations such as classroom disruption or chronic truancy.

Protecting Your Child's Education and Future

Daniel P. Weiner strives for a solution that keeps your kid in school and avoids the academic down slide and demoralizing stigma of expulsion. He has handled juvenile and young adult matters in Connecticut for over 40 years, and he brings unique insights as a former juvenile prosecutor, school board member and substitute teacher.

Contact the Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner today to schedule a free, confidential consultation to learn how our Stamford school exclusion hearing attorney can help.