Student Suspension & Expulsion Defense Lawyer in Sacramento
If your child is facing expulsion, timing matters more than anything. Expulsion hearings are generally held within 30 school days, appeals are due within 30 days, and the worst mistakes — like signing a "stipulated expulsion" — happen in the first week. Call (916) 407-4246 before you sign or say anything.
A suspension or expulsion follows a student for years — it shapes school placement, college applications, and how every future incident is judged. California law gives students real procedural rights in discipline cases, and districts frequently cut corners on them. I defend students across the Sacramento region at every stage of the discipline process.
How I defend students
- Suspensions. California limits suspensions to conduct listed in Education Code section 48900, five consecutive school days per incident, and 20 days per school year — and sharply restricts "willful defiance" suspensions. I challenge suspensions that overreach, and I make sure they don't quietly build a record for expulsion.
- Expulsion hearings. Your child has the right to written notice of the charges, to see the district's evidence, to present and cross-examine witnesses, and to be represented. I prepare the defense, examine witnesses, and hold the panel to the legal standard.
- Stipulated expulsion agreements. Districts often push families to sign away the hearing. Sometimes a negotiated outcome is right — but only with eyes open. Never sign without advice.
- Appeals. Expulsions can be appealed to the county board of education within 30 days. I handle appeals of wrongly decided cases.
- Students with disabilities. If your child has — or should have had — an IEP or 504 plan, federal law adds powerful protections, including the manifestation determination review (MDR). Discipline that punishes a child for their disability generally cannot stand.
Discipline and disability: the protections most families don't know
Once removals pass 10 school days in a year, the school must hold an MDR to decide whether the conduct was a manifestation of your child's disability or the result of an unimplemented IEP. If it was, the expulsion generally stops. Even a child with no IEP may qualify for these protections if the school had reason to suspect a disability. This is where discipline defense and special education law meet — and it's the core of my practice. My FAQ covers these rules in plain language, and my IEP and 504 plan page explains how to get protections in place going forward.
Act now — the free consultation is truly free
Discipline cases move on the school's calendar, not yours. I offer a free 45-minute consultation, and in urgent expulsion matters I do my best to talk the same week you call. I serve families throughout Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, and San Joaquin counties.
Or call (916) 407-4246 · jason@sacspedlaw.com