• Reasons for expulsion are, but are not limited to, the following offenses committed by students:

• Actions gravely detrimental to the moral and spiritual welfare of other students

• Habitual profanity or vulgarity

• Assault, battery or any threat of force or violence directed toward any school personnel or student

• Bullying, harassing or hazing school personnel or other students

• Open, persistent defiance of the authority of the teacher

• Continued willful disobedience

• Use, sale or possession of narcotics, drugs or any other controlled substance

• Use, sale, distribution, or possession of any alcoholic beverages on or near school premises 49

• Smoking or having tobacco

• Stealing

• Forging signatures

• Cheating or plagiarism

• Willful cutting, defacing or otherwise injuring in any way property, real or personal belonging to the school

• Habitual truancy

• Possession of harmful weapons (e.g., knives, guns, etc.) or materials that can be 
used as weapons

• Membership in, active involvement in, or affiliation with a gang or group responsible for coercive or violent activity

• Actions in or out of school which are detrimental to the school’s reputation

• Violation of the Electronic Use policies and guidelines

• Inappropriate conduct or behavior unbecoming a student in a Catholic school.

Procedure for Expulsion

Except in cases involving grave offenses, the following steps must be taken:

• A conference must be held with the parents or guardians, student, teacher, and principal present to advise the family that serious action is contemplated unless there is immediate improvement in behavior. In parish schools, the pastor should be notified of the conference, given an opportunity to attend and provided a report of the discussion.

• If there is no improvement in behavior, the final decision will be announced at a second conference attended by the principal, teacher, and parents or guardians. If the parents fail, without cause, to attend the conference, the pastor, principal, and teacher will reach a final decision. The final decision rests with the pastor in consultation with the principal.

• In no case will a teacher on his or her own authority expel a student.

• Full credit will be given for all work accomplished by the student up to the moment of expulsion.

Written Record

A written record of the steps leading to expulsion must be kept on file with copies of all communications and reports. The following form should be used, one copy kept on file and a copy mailed to the supervisor at the Department of Catholic Schools.

1. Name of Student: 
2. Parents notified by: 
3. First Meeting: 
4. Persons present: 
5. Remarks:
6. Second Meeting:
7. Persons present:
8. Remarks:
9. Signature(s)

Time of Expulsion

• An expulsion may be made immediately if the reasons are urgent

• Only in exceptional cases shall expulsion of an eighth-grade student who has been 
in the school

  one or more years be allowed

• If an expulsion is to take place during the last quarter of the school year or during the last semester in the case of an eighth-grade student, prior approval of the Department of Catholic Schools is required before the expulsion can take effect

• If such action is contemplated, approval shall be obtained before the announcement of the final decision to the parents at the meeting described below

Reporting of Expulsions

• All expulsions even if they occur at the end of the year, are to be reported by telephone to the elementary supervisor at the Department of Catholic Schools within 24 hours. The elementary school written report, Notice of Dismissal, should be mailed promptly to the supervisor.
• The County Office of Education shall be notified immediately of expulsions. A copy of the Cumulative Student Record should be held until requested.

Right to Make Exceptions

• The principal, in consultation with the pastor if a parish school, retains the right to make exceptions in cases where mitigating circumstances call for a different response than policy suggests.

Home Study

• Circumstances may arise which dictate that a student, at the discretion of the principal, be excluded from school attendance for a period of time. This is a remedy for unusual situations and is not considered a suspension. Students may be given tests, etc. outside school hours so that grades can be reported.