FERPA Laws Don’t Protect You From Records Disclosures
College is your launching pad to a bigger and better future ripe with opportunities. When your stellar academic track record is sullied by accusations of college cheating, it can have a huge negative effect on those future prospects. Post-graduate schools can see an academic integrity violation through disclosures required during the application process. Even some employers are now examining the entirety of applicant records, including their academic ones.
Once you have a finding on your record, it can be incredibly difficult to withhold or obscure. It is far better to meet any accusations of academic dishonesty head-on. Working with an experienced academic dishonesty attorney in Queens can increase your chances of an optimal outcome. After you’ve received notice that you are under suspicion of academic cheating, knowing the next best steps to take is vital.
When you work with TonaLaw, your student advocate attorney can teach you how to fight academic dishonesty charges. We focus on the language of your school’s actual policies, the evidence being provided against you, and your legal rights as a student during the judiciary process. Preparing for your hearing and researching school policies can arm you with the information you need to stand up to accusations and ensure you get fair treatment that’s based upon the actual contract between you and your school.
Call 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to learn more about your student rights and how an academic dishonesty attorney can assist your case.
FERPA Laws Don’t Protect You From Records Disclosures
The Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 governs many rights students have to control how their private information is shared. In most instances, this law means that students in Queens are protected from records disclosures since the school has to obtain their consent prior. However, FERPA makes exceptions for transferring students, and law enforcement agencies have open access to records if said records might be relevant to an ongoing inquiry.
Even without these loopholes, the vast majority of post-graduate schools in Queens require you to send copies of your records as an application requirement. Denying these record requests can make you ineligible for consideration. Some employers also have similar requirements, especially those in law enforcement, security, consulting, or a similar purview.
Put simply, once a finding of academic dishonesty is on your record, it can be nearly impossible to avoid disclosure. You can hope that any medical, law, or graduate school will neglect to request records, but this leaves the lingering question of whether they may ask for them in the future. Applicants to law enforcement positions are also intensely scrutinized for ethics lapses in their past. Because of this risk, students accused of college cheating should engage with their investigations quickly and strategically.
What an Academic Dishonesty Lawyer in Queens Can Do for Your Case
When you meet with an attorney at TonaLaw, you will be meeting minds with someone experienced in litigating contract law and disputes related to internal policies. Everything you need to know about your school’s judiciary process should be spelled out in policy guidelines, bylaws, and similar documents.
By examining these documents together, you and your attorney can determine things like: your school’s standard of evidence, what types of conduct count as an academic integrity violation, and how cases similar to yours have played out — both in and out of court. With this information, you can be prepared for your hearing with a strong opening statement, a legal argument for your innocence, and perhaps counter-evidence or evidence of your innocence.
These strategies allowed one of our clients, who attended Stony Brook University, to avoid a finding of academic dishonesty. They were accused of participating in a cheating scandal with other students. While many other students confessed to cheating without question, our client exercised their rights to hear the full argument against them, respond with an argument of their own, and examine the facts being used to allege their violation.
With our assistance, the Stony Brook student was able to convince their judiciary board that the professor making the accusation lacked “clear and compelling evidence,” as required by the school’s policies. A board member made a motion to dismiss all charges mid-hearing, and the rest assented. The student was able to avoid a finding. He was also able to graduate on time and apply to his post-graduate schools of choice without delays.
All TonaLaw Academic Dishonesty case studies:
- TonaLaw successfully represented and defended a student accused of academic dishonesty at a Top 100 University in the Nation
- TonaLaw Defends Student at SUNY Accused of Academic Dishonesty, Student Was Cleared of Any Wrongdoing
- Stony Brook Case Study
Helping Students at Colleges and Universities Throughout Queens
Queens is rich with history, culture, and educational opportunities. The City University of New York (CUNY) system has many anchor schools in the borough, including Queens College, York College, and the CUNY School of Law. Many students attend the Grand Central Academy of Art to join the community of New York visionaries, while others attend the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology to seek out answers to burning scientific questions.
LaGuardia Community College provides opportunities to tens of thousands each year, offering them outstanding public education at a relatively low cost — all while enjoying the CUNY system’s extensive resources.
These and other schools in Queens help solidify our legacy of valuing learning while helping students — young and old — prepare for a more-ambitious future.
Top Schools in Kings County, NY
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Bramson ORT College
- Briarcliffe College
- CUNY School of Law
- Grand Central Academy of Art
- LaGuardia Community College
- Lander College for Men
- Queens College, City University of New York
- Queensborough Community College
- St. John’s University (New York City)
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- York College, City University of New York
Talk to a Student Legal Representative About Your Academic Dishonesty Charges Today
You can’t change your future by passively accepting every obstacle that comes your way. You owe it to yourself and the people who support you to excel in every way — and that includes seizing the opportunity to clear your name in the face of academic dishonesty charges.
Speak to an experienced Queens academic dishonesty lawyer near you for free when you call TonaLaw 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule your no-risk, no-obligation case review today.
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