7:210-E4- General Details Regarding Expulsion Packets

In student expulsion proceedings, the Board is asked to make two decisions: (1) Whether the student is guilty of the conduct as alleged by the Administration; and (2) If so, what should be the penalty? These are separate and distinct questions, each requiring the review of different information. Although there is one expulsion packet, there are two distinct sections:

Section One

The first question requires the Board to determine if the student actually engaged in the misconduct as charged by the Administration. Obviously, if the Board resolves this question in favor of the student, the second question is never reached. To determine whether the student is indeed guilty of the alleged misconduct, the Board should limit its review to evidence that is relevant. Generally, this limits information to the precipitating incident that led to the recommendation for expulsion. This is the purpose of Section One.

Section Two

Assuming the Board finds the student guilty of the misconduct alleged, the Board may now consider the appropriate punishment. In this phase, evidence that is not relevant to whether the student committed the offense, is now relevant in determining what the punishment should be. This includes the student’s attendance record, grade reports, discipline records, and a variety of other documents. This is the purpose of Section Two. Think of this section as an addendum to Section One.

Expulsion Packet Writing Tips:

The contents of the Expulsion Packet will vary slightly depending on the specific case, but here are some general tips for writing the Expulsion Incident Summary and related documents:

Report the facts of the case in an efficient, but complete manner • Write in the third person
Avoid any language on referral documents that could be considered argumentative, opinionated, or prejudicial (i.e., “this student must be expelled”).
Assume that the reader will have no background knowledge on this incident, school policy, etc.
Avoid educational jargon (BOE, IEP, etc.).
Quotes are usually better than paraphrasing
Report should paint a clear picture, and the reader should be able to feel the scene as you saw and experienced it.
Number the pages of each packet, including any addendum or artifacts.

Date Approved: 02/08/2012