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Charged with assault for a prank and expelled from school? Here’s help.

On Behalf of | Feb 15, 2017

Teenagers love a good joke. What could be funnier than giving your friend a cookie or brownie with hidden laxatives and watching them hit the bathroom? Better yet, you want to play a practical joke on your favorite teacher and give them food laced with another substance like marijuana. Well, this is considered assault and a student can be charged and expelled from school. An expulsion from school will require students to disclose the assault charge to other schools and even licensing boards in the future. This can impact acceptance into college and even the issuance of a professional license.

What should you do if you are charged with assault for giving laxative or marijuana foods to others?

  1. Do not talk to any school staff about the incident – Students often think that that coming clean will lessen the punishment and then admit to all accusations. An accused student could also try to make excuses or even lie about the circumstances. Don’t immediately talk. Talking to the school administration or police can make your situation worse. If you are a minor, you should at least request to speak to your parents before making any statements.
  2. Do not talk or text any friends about the incident – If a student is confronted with an accusation of giving laxatives to friends and/or teachers, they may text friends about the situation. Students may try to cover up the situation or just be venting, either way, do not text your friends. I have had several cases where text messages have made a situation worse. When a student texts, they are creating a written trail. These text messages can come back and be introduced as evidence against the student.
  3. Hire an Education Law Attorney Immediately – The quicker an attorney is involved, the better the chance of avoiding the most severe penalties like expulsion, and the greater your chance at protecting your educational future.

What if the marijuana or laxative food was not mine?

I have had several cases where a student’s friend brought the contraband to school. Another student was dared or tricked into giving it to another student or teacher. The students who were dared or tricked can still face the most severe penalties. Even if these students were not the ones to bring the laxative cookies or brownies on campus.

What should the students who were tricked or dared to give the marijuana food or laxative food away do?

I give the same advice as above to those who were tricked or dared to give the laced food away. Do not talk to school staff. Do not text or talk to friends. You should also immediately contact an education lawyer who is experienced in defending school assault charges and expulsion cases. The quicker an attorney is involved, the better the chance of avoiding the most severe penalties like expulsion and the greater your chance at protecting your educational future.Click here to read my blog post on the consequences of drugs in school and click here to read about school suspensions and expulsions. Richard Asselta is an award-winning education law attorney with offices in both Florida and New Jersey. Call The Education Lawyers today for a free consultation. We will fight to keep you in school. 855-338-5299