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A Title IX Lawyer Can Ensure Accused Students Receive the Legal Protections They Need

Jun 20

A Title IX Lawyer can ensure accused students receive the necessary legal protections during student disciplinary proceedings. This includes monitoring whether a school violates its own policies and/or procedures.

Misconduct allegations handled by schools often require a complex investigation and hearing process. This can include a wide range of campus activities, student organizations and academic departments.

Sexual Misconduct

Any individual who believes they have experienced sexual or gender-based discrimination or harassment may file a Title IX complaint. These individuals can include students, faculty, and staff.

Once a complaint is made, schools must conduct an extensive and often lengthy investigation of the incident and provide accused students with a fair hearing before a neutral tribunal. The consequences of such a hearing can be far-reaching and negatively impact the career options for many students.

If any person files a Title IX complaint and the school or someone at the school retaliates against them, they can file a retaliation lawsuit against the university. Retaliation includes intimidating, threatening or coercing a person for reporting sex-based discrimination or for testifying or participating in any way in an investigation or proceeding related to sex-based discrimination. It can also include unwanted touching or intimacy, unwelcome teasing or jokes, indecent exposure and voyeurism, or slurs and negative stereotyping based on sexual orientation or gender.

Harassment

The majority of schools in the country receive federal funding through their students' financial-aid programs, which means that most universities have Title IX policies in place. Students and faculty who are victims of harassment or assault on campus can file a report with their school and ask for an investigation. If the complainant believes that their assailant or another person at the university has retaliated against them, they can file a retaliation complaint with the Department of Education.

Title IX Lawyer Tucson can help you defend your rights if you are facing allegations of sexual misconduct or discrimination at your university. A legal advisor can work to collect evidence and make sure that exculpatory information is not overlooked. They can also be a powerful advocate during the hearings and can help to avoid severe sanctions for your college career.

Because Title IX investigations and adjudications can take a while, the attorneys at Lento Law Firm can help with interim measures, such as no-contact orders and other accommodations that may be necessary.

Discrimination

It is against the law to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), age, marital and parental status, disability or genetic information. Discrimination on these grounds is illegal in many areas of public life, including employment, education, housing, and getting or using services.

Under Title IX, educational institutions must evaluate their current policies and procedures relating to admissions, treatment of students, and employment of academic and non-academic personnel in connection with their educational programs and activities. If these policies or procedures do not comply with Title IX, the educational institution must modify them to eliminate discrimination.

Our Alexandria, Virginia Title IX lawyers protect the rights of college students facing allegations of sexual misconduct by their university or school and fight to ensure that due process is followed before a life-altering decision is made. Our attorneys will serve as a communication middleman (so that statements that could undermine your defense are not made to the wrong parties), and will aggressively advocate for you at every step of the investigation and hearing process.

Representation

As part of the conditions for receiving federal funds, many universities (both public and private) must comply with Title IX regulations. This includes protecting students from sexual harassment and ensuring they have access to the educational opportunities they deserve.

When a student feels their rights have been violated by the school, they must bring a complaint to a specific office. If they believe their case has been mishandled or that the school did not follow protocol for investigating and conducting a hearing, a Title IX lawyer may be able to help them file a lawsuit.

The Title IX legal team at Allen Harris has years of experience fighting for the rights of students on campus. They can work to collect evidence, contact witnesses, and prepare a solid defense for their client in a hearing. This is important because the standard of proof in a Title IX hearing is preponderance of evidence, not beyond a reasonable doubt, as it is in criminal trials.

 

 

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