Jose’s Story

Jose was heading into his senior year at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George’s county and would soon decide whether to pursue a computer graphics degree from a technical school or a studio degree from an art institute.  Without timely intervention by volunteer attorney Jon Hadfield of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, he might not have finished high school at all.

As a 17 year-old mid-year transfer student, Jose made friends with a group of teens who regularly skipped school.  Jose followed their lead, cutting class to avoid exams he was afraid he wouldn’t pass.  Eventually, he was caught.  Jose says an administrator told him, “‘we’re going to withdraw you from school because you’re not showing any interest in your education, and you’re wasting your time and our time.’ He showed my dad the [withdrawal] papers, but he didn’t say that there was any choice.’  He just said, “sign the papers.’”

Jose’s mother contacted MVLS for help, and the case was referred to Hadfield, who helped Jose prepare a speech for his hearing with the principal and two administrators.  “I made flashcards (of what I would say),” Jose recalls, “what I would do if I got in trouble with my school work, that I would be serious about schoolwork, that I would join a team and make new friends who are interested in school.  I had learned a hard lesson.”

In the hearing, Hadfield argued that the school failed to follow school-mandated due process measures prior to the withdrawal, used a withdrawal form only valid for students transferring to another school, and did not properly notify Jose’s parents of other disciplinary options.  Moreover, he argued, two other students with Jose the day he was caught skipping had equivalent truancy records, but served in-school suspension and then returned to classes.  Jose’s punishment had been disproportionately severe.  The principal decided to allow Jose to return to school.

Now that he’s back at school, Jose is working hard to show he wants to be there.  He joined the cross-country team, added an art class to his schedule, and made friends who share his determination.  “I used to be lazy,” says Jose, “[now] I want to graduate.”  It’s clear that Jose learned something from the experience—and equally clear that the lesson would have been wasted without an advocate like Hadfield to protect Jose’s right to finish his education.