Defense of Educators

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If a teacher or administrator is under investigation by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), they should immediately seek an experienced attorney. Oftentimes, teachers and administrators believe they’ve done nothing wrong, or that they’ve already paid the price for their conduct through discipline with their employer and/or through the criminal or traffic court. However, ODE can and will discipline teachers and administrators anyway.

The discipline ODE imposes is a permanent public record, and can range from a letter of admonishment, to a suspension of all of a teacher or administrator’s credentials, all the way through permanent revocation of a teacher or administrator’s credentials. In addition, ODE can require a teacher or administrator to complete additional training, community service, a fitness to teach evaluation, random drug and alcohol screening, and periodic administrative reporting.

Bottom Line: discipline imposed by ODE can be very serious, and can lead to a teacher or administrator losing employment, and possibly receiving a lifetime prohibition on licensure. An experienced attorney can provide a teacher or administrator critical guidance, consultation, and representation to protect the teacher or administrator’s career and future.

Take a look at the ODE Disciplinary Process, as it is crucial to employ an experienced attorney at the earliest stage possible.