Ontario Family Law Podcast
69 - What Can Students Be Expelled for in Ontario?
69 - What Can Students Be Expelled for in Ontario?
Expulsion is the most serious punishment available within the school system and it can have long lasting consequences for expelled students both for their education and for their lives more generally. Although Board’s deny it, most expelled students have some identifiable characteristics. They are more often racialized, have special education needs, are socially awkward – nerds, geeks and such, have been in the care of a children’s aid society or a combination of those. In short, they are the most vulnerable students. But, none of these are good reasons to expel a student. Alternatively, principals want kids out of their school if there is even a hint of sexual impropriety, which raises lots of questions about injecting school discipline into student social-dynamics, especially amongst teenagers.
While it may be possible to expel private school students for anything, things are very different for public school students. The student must have misbehaved at school, at a school related activity or in a way that has impact many students at the school. In addition, there are only eleven types of misbehaviour for which a school board can expel a student. If the student did not commit one of those types of acts at one of the required places, the student cannot be expelled. And, there are some special circumstances where even if a student did one of those types of behaviour, they still cannot be expelled. If school is trying to expel a student improperly, the student and parents should fight that expulsion. There are procedures for doing that and for appealing expulsions.
In this Episode, Education Lawyer, John Schuman explains what students can be expelled for - and what they can’t. Many Ontario students are expelled improperly. When that happens, they should not let the expulsions stand. A child’s education is far too important.
If you found this episode helpful or informative, check out these:
65 - How to Get Help For Your Child’s Special Needs in Ontario Schools
58 - Student Rights During COVID-19
39 - What Ontario Private Schools Must Do About Bullying
38 - Ontario Private Schools, Standards and Education Law
22 - Children’s Rights in Ontario Schools
Thousands of people tune into the Ontario Family Law Podcast to get valuable pointers on all aspects of children’s law, education law, children’s rights, family law, divorce and separation issues. Please feel free to share this podcast with your social network using the sharing buttons below. The host of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, John Schuman, is an Education Lawyer with more than 20 years experience, practicing in Toronto. If you would like to contact him, either call 416-446-5847, email us, or fill out form below and click “send.”
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