Can I take my school to court?

[donough]

I am a college junior and I just transferred to another school. The school that I transferred to requires my high school transcript. Currently, the original copy of my high school transcript is in possession of my previous school. I completed high school in a foreign country and they only issue one copy of the final transcript. As such, the only evidence of my pre-university academic record is with my previous university. They are refusing to mail my transcript to my new school. Since that transcript is my property and I am no longer enrolled in that school, aren't they supposed to let go of the transcript's possession? Doesn't their refusal go against the law? This is actually really serious coz i can't enroll for classes at my new school since they need my high school transcript. Help please!

[seager]

ask them for your transcript, record the conversation / email. If it is a conversation through computer, see if you can screen cap it as evidence. Ask them nicely, if they still so no, tell them it is your property, and is not in your possession. Say that you could take it to a legal department (don't say sue, it's not a good word to fling around.)

[jung-hwa75]

on what grounds are you going to sue them?

anything your old school has they own, it's no longer yours. it's part of their records, that they're obligated to keep by state law. they're allowed to keep it. they don't have to let go of anything.
the only thing they have any obligation to let go of is your academic transcript of classes taken on their campus, as long as your paid up and don't owe them money.

if you have a beef, take it up with your high school and their policies.

[leonie36]

You should talk to an education lawyer. I am not at all convinced that you own the piece of paper that you gave them, and while they may be required to give you a copy of the transcript I doubt that they are required to give you the original. But I am not a lawyer, and I could easily be wrong; I'm relying on discussions I've heard lawyers have about other parts of educational records and I may have misunderstood or things may have changed.

[tripp]

go to them personally with the request from your new school and get them to give/hand you the transcripts.