Q: My 11 year old at Woodland Hills was accused of threatening to kill a teacher by two other students. Does he need a lawyer? My son has Toilette syndrome and impulsive disorder and has an IEP at school for emotional support. Two other students are accusing him of threatening to kill a teacher. He never threatened to kill anybody and now the cops are involved and this is causing more emotional damage to my son. What should I do?

A: I am not sure if you mean “Toilette” syndrome or are the victim of spell check but the situation sounds serious. I think a lawyer who specializes in educational law, may be helpful. The threat was not directly made to the teacher but the school maybe taking this seriously, especially if the police are involved. This could be handled with something simple like a conference, or at the other extreme, it could even end up in juvenile court on a delinquency petition and with a suspension. You should be proactive and discuss this with the school to determine how they are going to handle this. Again, an attorney who specializes in educational law may be a benefit to understanding the rights of your child and you as parent have in this situation. There is an organization called Kid’s Voice in Pittsburgh who represent children who are alleged to be dependent, but they may be able to offer some advice.