What to Do if Your Child Has Been Expelled: Avon Old Farms

Code of Conduct at Avon Old Farms

“Though this handbook contains a variety of rules and expectations, violation of the rules outlined in this section represents more significant misconduct that will typically subject a student to the School’s formal discipline process. Rule violations are generally divided into two categories based on the severity of the misconduct:

Level 1 violations are considered major violations and will usually require the student to appear before the Discipline Committee with the potential for dismissal.

Level 2 violations are considered a lesser violation and are usually handled solely through the Deans of Students Office, without the need for a Discipline Committee hearing and will generally result in a Dean’s Review.”

Disciplinary Responses at Avon Old Farms

“In keeping with the School’s philosophy, the School recognizes the need to address behavior with appropriate consequences. Below is a description of the range of disciplinary actions and other consequences typically imposed by the School.”

• Verbal Warning
• Letter of Misconduct
• Saturday Night Study Hall
• Sunday Work Crew
• Campus Restriction
• Probation
• Suspension
• Dismissal
• Non-participation in Commencement Ceremonies/Withholding of Diplomas

Dean's Inquiry

“Whenever there is concern that a student may have violated the Code of Conduct or other rules that could lead to discipline, the matter will be referred to the Deans of Students Office for an initial review or inquiry. The Office will review the facts and circumstances of the incident, may review relevant individuals, conduct searches, or perform other actions that will assist in determining what occurred. The Deans will inform the Associate Head of School of the result of the initial inquiry and determine if the incident will be handled with a Dean’s review or advanced to the Discipline Committee.”

Dean's Review

“For a conduct violation that remains at the Dean’s Office level, the Deans will meet with the student(s) and formally discuss the incident with the involved student(s) to clearly identify the transgression, provide the student with an opportunity to respond, and determine the appropriate response from the School, which may include discipline. If the Dean concludes that a rule violation occurred, the student and parents/guardians will receive a letter which details the transgression, consequences, and the expectations for improvement. The letter will also be placed in the student’s file.”

Disciplinary Committee

“Discipline matters are generally referred to the Discipline Committee (DC) when the alleged misconduct involved a major school rule or Level 1 violation, or any other significant rule violation as determined by the Dean’s Review based on the circumstances of the incident and impact to the community.”

“The DC will review information and evidence related to the alleged misconduct. In most cases, the DC will interview the student involved and may interview other students or other individuals who may have relevant information. The DC is responsible for drawing a conclusion about what occurred and determining if the student violated school rules. In making its decision, the DC must determine with reasonable certainty what occurred and whether it is more likely than not that the student violated School rules. Once the DC process is concluded, the DC will share its conclusion, along with a recommendation for discipline, to the Head of School. In making its disciplinary recommendation, the DC may consider the student’s prior record and level of cooperation and truthfulness in the disciplinary process. The DC’s recommendation is advisory.”

Read more about the disciplinary process in the student handbook here: https://issuu.com/avonoldfarms/docs/handbook_2023_24

Contact Us

If your child is facing suspension, discipline or expulsion from a private or public school in Connecticut, your child has rights. You should protect those rights by hiring an experienced education law attorney. Often, but not always, disciplinary charges may be accompanied by an arrest or criminal investigation. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the better off your child will be in terms of ensuring the protection of rights, and the ultimate outcome. Your child will achieve the best outcome with an experienced Connecticut Expulsion Attorney, who can try to reduce the expulsion to a stipulated agreement or dismissal of charges altogether. The experienced Connecticut Expulsion Law attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. can help you and your child navigate the difficult and emotional process of an expulsion proceeding.

When a child violates a school policy - even if off school grounds - the violation can sometimes rise to the level of an expulsion from private or public school. An expulsion can negatively impact a child’s educational and emotional success. It can also sometimes affect college admissions if not handled by an experienced Connecticut Education lawyer familiar with handling expulsions and suspensions.

At Maya Murphy, P.C. we only represent students and families, we never represent school districts against students. We are available 7 days a week to answer questions; if it is important to you, it is equally important to us. We can assist your child with any education related needs including special education, suspension, discipline, expulsion, and criminal or juvenile criminal charges. You can contact one of our experienced Education Law Attorneys in Connecticut directly by calling (203) 221-3100 in Connecticut, or (212) 682-5700 in New York. You can also email Joseph Maya, the Managing Partner directly at JMaya@mayalaw.com.

Maya Murphy P.C. has proudly been included in the 2024 Edition of Best Law Firms®, ranked among the top firms in the nation. In addition, Managing Partner Joseph C. Maya has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for his work in Employment Law and Education Law in Connecticut. Recognition in Best Lawyers® is awarded to firms and attorneys who demonstrate excellence in the industry and is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor.

Our firm in Westport, Connecticut serves clients with legal assistance all over the state, including the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bethel, Branford, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Cheshire, Danbury, Darien, Derby, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, Middlebury, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Haven, Newton, North Branford, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Oxford, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Seymour, Shelton, Sherman, Southbury, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Haven, Weston, Westport, Wilton, and Woodbridge. In addition to assisting clients in Connecticut, our firm handles education law matters in New York as well.

If you have any questions about education law in Connecticut or would like to speak to an attorney about a legal matter, please contact Joseph C. Maya and the other experienced attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. at (203) 221-3100 or JMaya@Mayalaw.com to schedule a free initial consultation today.