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OK, but so what? What you “think” of that is irrelevant. You don’t have any legal right to substitute your judgment for that of the college. Not liking something is not a legal cause of action. Colleges have the right to impose sanctions on their students based upon legitimate academic or personal misconduct. Having a misconduct mark placed on a transcript for a limited time is hardly a permanent scarlet letter. The college would have been within its rights to simply expel the student - in some ways they got off easy.</p>
<p>If the school in question is a public university, generally any student disciplinary sanctions must comply with legitimate due process requirements - providing a hearing, offering opportunities for a defense, etc. Those may not apply at private institutions, which are not subject to constitutional restrictions.</p>