On October 23, 2023, Janice Gregerson presented “Defining and Responding to Student Misconduct” during the SAIS 2023 Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Independent schools have seen a shift in the nature and intensity of student misconduct. At the same time, schools are cognizant of the mental health crisis impacting students and faculty alike. Relatedly, parents and students increasingly are looking to schools to resolve their disputes, where perhaps previously the school was not asked to intervene. Schools are reevaluating how they define their jurisdiction over student conduct, how they define certain forms of student misconduct, and the method(s) schools will use to investigate and respond. These efforts are made to better inform parents, students, and employees alike about how a school will respond.
In this session, Janice reviewed the different considerations schools have taken into account in managing this complex landscape and the different strategies they may pursue as they investigate and respond to student misconduct.