Suspensions

What is a suspension?

A suspension is an exclusion from school for one to ten days in a row. In Philadelphia, the time is one to five days. You can be suspended by a principal or other person in charge of a school.

What can my school suspend me for?

Look in your school's Code of Student Conduct to find the offenses that can lead to suspension. You should have received a copy of the Code of Student Conduct from the school, and it should be available in your school library.

What procedures does the school have to follow if it wants to suspend me?

The school must tell you the reasons for the suspension and give you a chance to respond. Depending on the circumstances, the school may or may not have to do all of this before they start the suspension. For example, if you are considered a threat to the school, they will suspend you and then hold a hearing.

If you are suspended, your parents and the superintendent of your school district must immediately be told in writing why you are being suspended.

What if the school suspends me for more than three days?

If the suspension is longer than three days, you and your parents must be told in writing about the reasons for the proposed suspension. The school must offer to hold an informal hearing to discuss the situation with your family and give you a chance to show why it shouldn’t suspend you. At the informal hearing, you have the following rights:

• To question any witnesses present at the hearing; and

• To speak and produce witnesses on your own behalf.

If the school doesn’t offer to hold the informal hearing within the first five days of the suspension, you have the right to return to school on the sixth day.

I'm being suspended from my classes but the vice principal told me I am still expected to come to school. What kind of suspension is this?

It’s an “in-school suspension”—meaning a student is excluded from his or her regular classes but is still expected to come to school. The following rules apply to in-school suspensions:

• When you are suspended, school officials must tell your parents about it.

• If the suspension is for more than ten school days in a row, you and your parents must be offered an informal hearing with the principal.

• During the suspension, the school district must arrange for your continued education.

I missed a history test because I was suspended from school during the week the test was given. My history teacher won’t let me make it up. Can he do that?

No. Students must be given a chance to make up exams and other work missed while on suspension.

I got caught bringing champagne to our senior class prom and was suspended. The school also told my parents I couldn’t go to my graduation ceremony. Can they do that?

Yes. Pennsylvania courts have allowed school district to exclude suspended students from graduation ceremonies. The school, however, can’t deny you a diploma if you have completed all the requirements for graduation.