Suspended without clear explanation... is this allowed?

Education Forums
1

A few months ago, my college emailed me about a sudden meeting to discuss my behavior. In the meeting, Ruby, who represented the school, accused me of things like being disruptive and having outbursts. I wasn’t warned or told anything beforehand, and Ruby didn’t seem to listen when I tried to explain. I told her I sometimes cry quietly due to my ADHD and emotional sensitivity, especially after a friend accused me of something out of the blue. Instead of understanding, she dismissed me, saying I was just making excuses.

Now, I’m suspended, can’t take my finals, and need her permission to even set foot on campus. This all feels like retaliation because I reported her for discrimination earlier. They claim I harassed someone and disrupted class but don’t explain what I did. They gave vague examples but no real details. How can I even defend myself when I don’t know what I’m accused of?

Isn’t the school supposed to give clear explanations and consider my ADHD and language barriers? Can they just suspend me like this without specifics? What do I do from here?

2

That sounds so unfair. Did they explain what ‘outburst’ or ‘disruptive’ actually means in your case?

3

Not really. I assumed ‘outburst’ meant crying because I get emotional, but they didn’t clarify.

4

They owe you a proper explanation. Without it, how are you supposed to respond?

5

Ruby being involved again after you reported her seems like retaliation. Have you thought about filing another complaint?

6

I have, but I don’t know if it’ll make things worse. It does feel retaliatory, though.

7

Might be worth consulting an attorney. Retaliation cases can be hard to prove, but they’ll know how to approach it.

8

They suspended you without providing details? That doesn’t seem right at all.

9

Exactly. All they said was I harassed someone and disrupted things, but no clear examples.

10

You should formally ask for specifics. They can’t leave you guessing like this.

11

Isn’t the school supposed to accommodate ADHD under the ADA? This sounds like they’re ignoring that.

12

That’s what I thought. I explained how ADHD affects me, but Ruby dismissed it completely.

13

You could file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. They’re supposed to handle ADA issues.

14

How did they define harassment? Did the person who reported you say what you did?

15

I just asked them, ‘How did I disrupt your class?’ They didn’t say anything then but reported me later.

16

That doesn’t sound like harassment at all. You should definitely appeal this decision.