Attorneys At Work

15 Stony Brook Students Accused of Colluding to Cheat on a College Exam, But Weak Evidence Helps Clear Our Client

TonaLaw’s academic dishonesty defense attorneys recently rendered their services on behalf of a student of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook. The student was accused of participating in colluding to cheat on an exam with other students. 

Attorneys At Work

Thanks in part to our preparation, the student was able to convince the Academic Judiciary Committee that the charges against them lacked the evidentiary weight described by the school’s policies. Mid-hearing, a Committee representative moved to dismiss the charges, and the Committee assented.

15 students in total were accused of cheating on the same college exam by the same professor. While 13 other students admitted to cheating, our client and another student were the only parties cleared of all academic integrity violations.

How TonaLaw Helped a Student Prepare for Their Academic Integrity Violation Hearing

School policies are another form of contract law. When students attend a college or university, they agree to follow the policies — and accept certain forms of punishment if they are found in violation of them.

Another important role of school policies is that they establish students’ rights. As such, Stony Brook University, like many other higher-education institutions, will first hold a hearing before deciding on whether they can establish a finding of academic dishonesty. Students are allowed to hear the evidence and accusations against them, present their own position, submit any relevant evidence, and argue for their innocence.

Our client retained us soon after they had first heard of the charges and made their initial response. We reviewed the student’s entire academic file, which included the student’s prehearing statement disputing all charges. This put the student on firm footing to present a case for being not guilty. 

A TonaLaw academic dishonesty lawyer assisted the client in writing the hearing position statement to be read at the hearing. As further preparation, we counseled the client on the testimony to be given at the hearing as well as how to address questioning from the committee.

One critical step in any case like this is to review the language of the school’s own policies, guidelines, bylaws, etc. Stony Brook’s Academic Integrity Policy contains rules of evidence that we felt were highly pertinent to this college cheating investigation.

A Confident Client Sways All Concerns of College Cheating During Their Academic Integrity Violation Hearing

A TonaLaw academic dishonesty attorney was in attendance during the Stony Brook student’s hearing. The client was confident, assured, and had the knowledge they needed to present their position and effectively argue their case.

During the hearing, it was argued that under the University’s own code of conduct, the professor alleging the infraction could not prove the case by clear and convincing evidence. TonaLaw was lead counsel, and upon presentation of the case, a representative of the University moved to drop the charges mid hearing.  

As a result, not only was the TonaLaw client cleared of all charges but so was the companion case that was also represented by separate counsel.

TonaLaw Helps Students Beat Cheating Accusations and Academic Dishonesty Charges

College is more than just a right of passage. For young students, it is a vital step in their transition to the professional world. For older students, it is a critical opportunity to advance their professional standing. 

A single accusation of college cheating can derail these intentions. Students who have academic dishonesty findings on their record can have their chances at grad school or a high-earning job taken away. Protecting your record from disclosures can be difficult — and, in some circumstances, impossible.

That is why we at TonaLaw aim to provide the highest quality legal representation when guiding students who are in the midst of an academic dishonesty investigation. We can inform them of their rights, build a case based on the language of school policies, and prepare the student for their judiciary hearings.

If you or a child of yours is currently facing academic dishonesty accusations, don’t take them lightly. Speak to experienced attorneys familiar with the policy and who have successfully cleared other students in the past.

Call TonaLaw today at 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation case review and to discuss your student rights.

Click To Download Academic Dishonesty Ebook

What Our Clients Are Saying

Excellent5.0 Based on 381 reviews from review us onJennifer CaceresJennifer Caceres ★★★★★ I highly recommend using tonalaw. Lauren and Jada are amazing. Any questions or concerns I had they answered. I am happy I choose tonalaw .Response from the ownerThank you so much for your review Jennifer! We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with our responsiveness and thoroughness in addressing your questions and concerns. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to providing our clients with the best possible legal representation. Thank you again for your kind words. We are honored to have you as a client. Carlos UmanaCarlos Umana ★★★★★ Excelente atención buena comunicación contestan mis preguntas con sinceridadResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your review Carlos! Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will continue to strive to provide you and all of our customers with the outstanding service you deserve. Yanira Del ValleYanira Del Valle ★★★★★ Mr. Tona is such a wonderful human and attorney. So helpful, without a second thought, he shares his knowledge and experience. He helps makes this Plaintiff community a better one. Thank you!!!Response from the ownerThank you Yanira! It was so great meeting you. Marvin SortoMarvin Sorto ★★★★★ TonaLaw is a very reputable firm. Ana is such a great asset to the firm. She is also bilingual with many years of experienceResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words Marvin! gary gundersengary gundersen ★★★★★ I’ve been to tona law several times already and I’ve had the pleasure to deal with Ana both time and she was amazing. Made sure all paperwork was in order and is super thorough with everything. Highly recommendedResponse from the ownerThank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with us at Tona Law. We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with the services provided by Ana. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality legal representation, and we are always striving to exceed expectations. Jennifer PorterJennifer Porter ★★★★★ Tom Tona puts so much emphasis and effort into developing a fantastic law firm, delivering excellent results for their clients and also staying at the forefront of law firm management skills. I am super impressed by my conversation and interaction with Tom and am happy to recommend him!Response from the ownerJennifer, thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you were impressed with your conversation and interaction with Tom. We strive to provide a positive and supportive experience for all of our clients, and we are so glad to hear you had such a positive interaction with Mr. Tona. Thank you again for your kind words. Janet SowinskiJanet Sowinski ★★★★★ Lauren, one of the paralegals at Tona Law is very knowledgeable, compassionate and very professional. She genuinely cares for her clients and is always willing to go the extra mile to help. Having known her for several years, i can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking great assistance.Carmen SandovalCarmen Sandoval ★★★★★ Quiero darles las gracias por haberme representado en mi caso, felizmente estos abogados lograron ganar ni caso, y estoy muy satisfecha por su gran trabajo, hablan español y la señorita Ana es muy atenta y cordial y amable con sus clientes, muchisinas gracias x sus servicios ademas de ser rapidos, nos ayudan mucho especialmente a las personas qué sólo hablamos español, les recomiendo este servicio de abogados muy honestos. Muchas gracias👌😘Miguel MenaMiguel Mena ★★★★★ Ana is extremely knowledgeable and a great asset to your firm! Definitely will be coming back.Sandie RivasSandie Rivas ★★★★★ Ana is amazing! Working with her was extremely enjoyable. She is a great asset to Tonalaw and always eager to help!Darwin RomeroDarwin Romero ★★★★★ Ana was an absolute pleasure. She was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Highly recommend!Emma SortoEmma Sorto ★★★★★ Ana is a wonderful personal. She is very talented and very hardworking. Best thing is that she is bilingual! Always willing to help anyone who is in need of a hand! You are in great hands at Tona Law!nicole garcianicole garcia ★★★★★ Couldn’t recommend Lauren more!!! I’ve known Lauren for years, she is a dedicated, hard worker and is so professional when it comes to her job. She really cares about her clients and doing the best for them.Dolceprincipessa xoDolceprincipessa xo ★★★★★ I highly recommend Will Ramos as a lawyer. He is a true professional. He explained my options with me and was very accessible & kept me updated! I also had the pleasure of working with Jayden. She was great as well. They assisted with my case and helped me tremendously! Highly recommend :)yessenia lopez ramosyessenia lopez ramos ★★★★★ I have know Attorney Will Ramos for many years. He is very detail oriented, a great advocate, and an empathetic individual.I have referred a few clients during their time of need over to Will and the friendly staff at Tona Law. He is willing to go above and beyond for others.CARLOS RODRIGUEZCARLOS RODRIGUEZ ★★★★★ I have known Will Ramos for 15 plus years and can attest to his character in placing the needs for others above his own. He is an asset to any organization and a team player with positive attitude.Jessica MalaveJessica Malave ★★★★★ I’ve known attorney Will Ramos for 16 years he always places the needs of others above his own. He is a caring man and super understanding and has a big heart.Bianca RamosBianca Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is awesome the law firm is lucky to have someone like him part of their team. He genuinely cares for others and is always willing to lend a helping hand.Response from the ownerBianca, thank you for leaving a wonderful review for our firm. We are lucky to have Will Ramos as part of our team! Arianna RamosArianna Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is nothing short of dedicated and hard working. Each case he works on demonstrates his passion for law and his care for his clients.Response from the ownerThank you for your review, Arianna! Will Ramos has been a wonderful asset to our team. JenneferJennefer ★★★★★ I've had the pleasure of knowing Lauren for quite a while now, and I must say, her dedication to her clients is truly remarkable. She takes immense pride in her work as a professional she seamlessly balances her role at Tona Law, where she's involved in legal matters. Having seen her commitment and skill firsthand, I can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking top-notch assistance.Celine Aubry-DumandCeline Aubry-Dumand ★★★★★ I had a great experience working with TonaLaw.The team was really friendly and helpful throughout the entire process.Response from the ownerCeline, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review for our firm. We are so grateful we were able to help you and provide you with a great experience. Thank you! Adam OmallyAdam Omally ★★★★★ I have known Lauren one of the paralegals at Tona law for many years and she is dedicated to her profession and helping her clients. Wonderful person.Alexandra DevineAlexandra Devine ★★★★★ Lauren at TonaLaw was extremely helpful! She was so nice and professional. I highly recommend asking for her!Margaret CaschettaMargaret Caschetta ★★★★★ I have known Lauren for a long time and she’s always been dedicated to her job! Excellent at anything she’s ever done.NICOLE GUASTONICOLE GUASTO ★★★★★ Lauren’s great- reliable empathetic the whole package - years of knowing her I wouldn’t ask for anyone elsejs_loader