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Dear Maisy,

You are to be brought before a sub-committee of the Honor Committee for not serving your LOP on Tuesday, and for your assertions that you would not serve this week’s LOP despite direct instruction from the Dean of Students. Today, you were not in the study hall and after repeated attempts to summon you on the lunchtime PA system, you were much later noticed to be sitting on a bench with friends in the Sledge Garden. When you met with the Dean of Students last week regarding your accumulation of points, you were told that you were to serve LOP beginning this week. In response, you repeatedly stated that you were not going to serve this LOP. You argued that the points earned for your Oct. 1 absence were not legitimate because your mother had emailed that you were not going to be in school on that day. Moreover, you repeatedly argued that the Dean of Students had no right to say whether the absence was approved or not approved; and you rejected the policy that the Dean’s Office can excuse or not excuse someone’s absence. Further, you rejected the idea that any appeal of these points --17 days prior --had long since passed. Having demonstrably ignored the discipline policies observed by this community, you are to be brought before this subcommittee of the Honor Committee.

The Hearing will begin Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 12:20 pm, in the Dean of Students office. Please be seated outside this room immediately following 5th period. If you wish to have someone witness on your behalf in the hearing, please let me know their names. You may also have up to three witnesses for moral support, meaning they can attend the proceedings but are silent and do not participate. These three can be your Advisor, a friend, a family member, or your parents. Please let me know who, if any, will attend.

Please familiarize yourself about the Honor Committee and the Discipline Policies as described on pages 56-60 in the Community Handbook. The subcommittee of the Honor Committee consists of student members including your grade representatives, the senior representatives; up to two members of the faculty, and the Dean of Students. Like the full HC, they are tasked to weigh the charge and testimony, to deliberate privately, and ultimately to recommend a consequence to the administration for approval. Please note that a subcommittee hearing can result in a variety of penalties with the exceptions of suspension and expulsion from school.

From page 58-59 I have copied below your rights before the committee.


Student Rights

Students who appear before the Honor Committee or a subcommittee will be accorded the following rights:

1) They will be provided written statements describing the charges against them and their rights and responsibilities.

2) They will be entitled to at least 24 hours between the time they are confronted by a charge and the time they are called to appear before the Honor Committee or a subcommittee.

3) They will be entitled to be present during all testimony and will be entitled to question all witnesses against them.

4) They will have the right to invite up to three people to be present during the hearing. These people may include parents, an advisor or any other members of the school community who are not acting in a legal capacity.

5) They may call as many witnesses as they feel are necessary.

6) If they feel that they have been unfairly treated during the proceedings, the students may speak to the principal and Head of School before those two consider the Honor Committee’s recommendations.

7) They will not have the nature or disposition of Honor Committee proceedings appear on their transcripts.


Again, please feel free to contact me at school. Thank you for your attention.

Best,


Mr. Woods
Upper School Dean of Students

woodsm@sidwell.edu<mailto:woodsm@sidwell.edu>

(202) 537-8160