My 13 year old son is facing a 10day suspension and possiable expolsion??

Question

My son got in trouble for giving another boy a pill..rittilin....( he said a kid on the bus gave it to him) The boy he gave it to went a lttle crazy in school and got sent to the office. My son was questioned and eventually admitted he gave it to him and told where he got it. Does anyone know if there is something we can do to keep the school board from expelling him.. ? we are in Va. I am concerned

Answer 1

You have to look into the school rules, ritalin is a drug that is used for Attention Deficit Disorder. I think it is overprescribed, you should be able to get an advocate for him, that would help.

As a parent, you can appeal the decision, and possibly while you are appealing he will be able to stay in school. At least that is what I would try for.

Be careful of what you sign and if he signed anything it is not admissable he isn't 18.

Does your son have a disability of sorts, you can use that to keep him in school.

Here is a link.

http://www.larcc.org/pamphlets/children_family/school_expulsions.htm#My%20child%20is%20disabled

My child has gotten into trouble and may be expelled. What rights do we have?

The right to a hearing before actually being expelled, except in cases of emergency, such as where a child may pose a danger to self or others if the child remains in the classroom.

The right to a written notice prior to the hearing, which explains which rule the school believes was broken and what the child actually did to break the rule.

The right to bring an attorney to the hearing if you hire one - there is no right to have an attorney appointed for an expulsion hearing. (If you do not have an attorney, you can bring someone else as an advocate.)

The right to explain the child's side of the story to the board, which includes the right to present evidence, such as documents and testimony from witnesses.

The right to question, or "cross examine" any of the witnesses the school may present to support its case for expulsion.
The right for the parent and study to get, in advance of the hearing, a complete set of all documents that the school will be presenting to the hearing officer as well as any written statements by teachers, witnesses, etc. In addition, the parent should ask for a complete copy of the student's entire school record as there may be helpful information.
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What can I do to get ready for the hearing?
Expulsion hearings are usually scheduled within 10 days or less, so you should begin to prepare for the hearing as soon as you receive the notice. There are five steps you should take to prepare for the hearing:

1. Ask to see your child’s school record. Reading the record will help you understand what the school believes has happened. It should have information about the incident, including names of witnesses that the school might ask to testify at the hearing and documents the school may use as evidence at the hearing.

2. Try to talk to as many of the school’s witnesses as you can before the hearing to find out what they plan to say.

3. Make a list of people who can be witnesses to help you tell your side of the story. Talk to these people so you will know what they will say and ask them to come to the hearing. You may also want to find some "character" witnesses. A good character witness would be an adult from outside the family, such as a scout leader, someone from your church, or a coach who knows your child and can say some positive things about him or her.

4. Plan your strategy for the hearing. Remember that two issues will be decided at the hearing:
-whether the child should be expelled and;
-how long the expulsion should last.

5. Ask for help if you need it. If you have trouble doing things on time or keeping track of paperwork, ask a friend or family member to help you prepare for the hearing and practice what you would like to say. If you are nervous about the hearing, ask someone you trust to drive you to the hearing and stay with you for support. If possible, talk to an attorney. At the end of this booklet, there is a list of organizations to contact for legal advice, if you have not already done so.

Each case will be different, but here are four possible scenarios for you to consider:

a. If you think the school simply has the facts wrong and that your child did not violate the rules, you will want to find witnesses or documents that will support your version of what happened and try to show the hearing officer that there is no reason for the expulsion.

b. You may agree with the school about what happened but feel your child had a good excuse and should not be expelled. You may have witnesses or documents to help show why your child acted as he or she did, or you may simply have to explain that your child’s behavior was justified and expulsion would be too severe a punishment under the circumstances.

c. You may agree with the school about what happened and want to concentrate on making sure the expulsion period is not too long. You will want to insist that a long expulsion is too severe a punishment or that a long expulsion will be very harmful to your child. Character witnesses are particularly helpful here.

d. You may want to try a combination of strategies. You can try to prove that the school’s version of events is wrong, and also ask that if your child is expelled, that the expulsion be only for a short time.

They should provide alternate schooling if the child is under 16
In most cases, an expelled student must be offered an alternative educational opportunity during his expulsion. The only exception is a 16- or 17-year-old student who is expelled for carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon or for selling or distributing illegal drugs on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity. A special education student who is expelled must be offered an alternative educational opportunity that meets his needs regardless of the expulsion circumstances.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/olrdata/ed/rpt/2002-R-0849.htm

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Answer 2

Ask your son where he got it from. Make him tell the truth, to do that you will have to tell him the consequences if he does not and make him cry for 10 minutes and then he will have either told the truth or is going to tell. If he got it by accident and meant no harm, appeal to the school, provide reasons and keep a cool head, then you cry if it gets too much. But if your son meant any harm ask him why. If someone is bullying him and he gave the bully a pill, then it is much easier. There is always a motive behind things, you just have to find it. Then use reasoning with the school board, tell them why he did it, his cause, if the other kid deserved it, etc. Hope this helps, and good luck.

Answer 3

Ok, First off, go and talk with the pricipal and the guidance staff. I am sure if he is normally a good kid and you both cooperate fully you can work something out. Offer to put your kid into councling. And if the school insists on expaulsion, take it to the school board. The school board can work out deals and put your sons best intrest at heart too. Just assure tem that something like this will never happen again and that you are taking all the steps to insure it. Just stay level headed and take the appropriate avenues and you'll both be fine. I am sure your son has learned a very good lesson as many kids do when something serious happens. And I'm sure the school will see that too. Afterall he is only a kid. Good luck.

Answer 4

I'm in the state Of California but it's pretty much the same everywhere...........NO DRUGS, NO WEAPONS , ETC. If your son gave another child a pill then he needs to be punished. you as a parent need to accept whatever punishment is handed over to him by the school. I'll tell you something else if I was the other childs parent I'd be pressing charges against your son for putting my childs life in danger....consider yourself blessed if all he gets is suspension. The outcome to all this could have been tragic so punish your child and move on!!!

Answer 5

I am in TN but most all schools in the US have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs. You need to get a copy of the school district handbook. You might can find a copy on the school system website. It will have the offense and punishment listed.

I know this is not what you wanted to hear and I am sorry. If the offense is a zero tolerance, begging the principal will not help, they have to follow the board policy. We often have kids that make a stupid mistake and it breaks out hearts to expel them but we have no choice.

I will keep you and your family in my thoughts.

Answer 6

I would say that your son was interrogated without your permission. I would also recommend to the school board that your son has no access to ritalin, and as a highly controlled substance would be impossible to attain. I would get a lawyer to fight this. For all you know, they forced the confession and he could seriously believe he did give that boy the pill. Stop letting the school attack your child!!!! I would also seek to have the official who interrogated your son....FIRED!!!! Your son's future is at stake here.

Answer 7

well im 14 and all i can say is if someone gave it to your son then he should have told an adult other than giving it to another kid, since there was the possibility of getting caught giving to to someone else.

Answer 8

dude? ritalin? tell them that your kid thought it would help the other kid (who was obviously insane) calm down a little bit.

i know people who sell their prescription ritalin to others so that they can focus on tests. it may be a drug, but it's certainly not an illegal one (selling prescriptions is obviously illegal, but teenagers don't care).

Why did the other kid take a pill that your son gave to him?