Sexual misconduct in a college setting is a weighty matter that impacts the life of the accused and the accuser. Due to the prevalence of sexual misconduct on and off campuses, numerous initiatives aim to keep students safe. Moreover, federal guidelines stipulate that college administrations must take action that prevents similar incidents from occurring. Yet those accused often face disproportionate repercussions, and the violation of their rights is frequent.
Every college in Texas has a code of conduct that deal with different student infarctions. Still, none are as severe as sexual misconduct allegations. When the incident occurs on campus, administrations are quick to take action. However, the information and details of both parties sometimes become public knowledge, complicating the matter further, and causing more damage. With the new amendments to Title IX, there are different processes to follow in a legal sense, but the nature of allegations remains the same.
Victims of sexual harassment deserve justice when such an incident happens. However, many students face accusations that are untrue or unfounded, and this complicates the matter further. Unfortunately, those accused often do not receive fair representation or treatment as investigations occur. Since the issue is tricky, you need a college sexual misconduct advisor in Texas who ensures that you receive appropriate legal representation.
What Constitutes Sexual Misconduct?
Sexual misconduct is a form of sex discrimination. The severity of the charge and where it occurs makes a difference in terms of prosecution. In a general sense, sexual misconduct is when there are unwanted sexual advances that are physical, coercive, or verbal in nature. Whether the overtures are subtle or direct, these actions lead to consequences that hurt the accused.
Perpetrators of sexual misconduct can be of any gender, race, age, or status. The repercussions of these actions differ, especially when considering the gravity of the allegation. For example, a rape allegation on campus differs from making a sexually explicit – yet unwelcome and offensive – joke to a peer.
Consequences of College Sexual Misconduct Charges in Texas
A student facing accusations of sexual misconduct charges in Texas faces experiences penalization by the college administration or the state. In any allegation that involves a grave sexual misconduct allegation on campus, the administration must take swift action to examine the case regardless of other investigations.
Colleges must protect their students and staff members from unwanted sexual advances. Additionally, they have a reputation to maintain and a code of conduct to enforce. As a result, a student faces significant consequences that include:
- Suspension and removal from organizations connected to school or community
- Permanent expulsion
- Criminal charges
- Financial compensation for the victim
- Mention of the charge on their permanent record
- Damage to reputation (sex offender label)
- Strained relationships
- Inability to find a job or start a career
Another point to keep in mind is that when colleges prosecute students accused of sexual misconduct on campus, they do not treat the case the same as a court would. That means that the protections that defendants must receive and their rights are not as crucial to administrations to deal with the matter quickly.
When Colleges Take Matters Into Their Own Hands
Despite federal laws, some colleges in Texas prefer to take strict and aggressive actions against students accused of inappropriate behavior. If you are part of a sexual misconduct allegation, you could face a multitude of scenarios that have grave consequences on your reputation and record.
- You are not presumed innocent until proven guilty: Unlike a court, universities are quick to prosecute and charge students of sexual misconduct as soon a student files a case. If the allegation is false, this leads to life-altering consequences for the accused.
- Lack of thorough investigation processes: Although colleges are serious about prosecuting students that violate their sexual misconduct terms, their investigation process may be lacking. Disproportionate punishment: Colleges do not just protect their students after an incident occurs; they also must prevent sexual misconduct from happening on their campuses. What further exacerbates the matter is public and legal scrutiny, which pressures some administrators to take harsh routes when doling out punishment.
- Intimidating and harsh questioning: Due to the sensitive nature of such cases, colleges usually have legal teams present during interrogation. The victim will likely have an attorney present as well. If an accused student does not have representation, they will be subject to intimidation and harsh questioning, which can quickly go wrong.
Both victims and the accused have rights and deserve fair representation. Yet without the right defense, many students will be at a disadvantage before the investigation takes place and are subject to unfair treatment.
What To Do If Accused
If you are facing sexual misconduct charges from your college, contact a skilled attorney as soon as possible. As soon as you learn of a charge against you, every word you say is a potential admission of guilt and can exacerbate the outcome.
A sexual misconduct advisor helps you in a series of ways, such as:
- Possessing strong knowledge of state and federal law
- Examining evidence to ensure a fair outcome
- Decreasing the likelihood of disproportionate punishments
- Helping you prove your innocence in the event of a false accusation
- Ensuring that the investigation process is fair and thorough
- Fighting for your rights and protecting you in a time of high stress
- Gathering evidence and witness statements
With an advisor by your side, you increase your chances of a fair investigation and hearing process. Furthermore, a lawyer advises you what to say when questioned and ensures that your rights are safe.
Lento Law Firm For College Sexual Misconduct Allegations in Texas
Sexual misconduct allegations adversely affect your life and impact your reputation. When you need high-caliber representation, advisor Joseph D. Lento has the expertise to ensure you get the best defense possible.
With years of experience successfully helping accused students receive justice, Joseph D. Lento defends students who face serious charges that affect their lives. For a consultation, call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
Texas colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's college sexual misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Abilene Christian University
- Alvin Community College
- Amarillo College
- American InterContinental University Houston
- Angelina College
- Angelo State University
- Argosy University Dallas
- Arlington Baptist College
- Austin College
- Austin Community College District
- Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary
- Baptist University of the Americas
- Baylor University
- Blinn College
- Brazosport College
- Brookhaven College
- Brown Mackie College San Antonio
- Career Point College
- Cedar Valley College
- Central Texas College
- Chamberlain College of Nursing Texas
- Cisco College
- Clarendon College
- Coastal Bend College
- College of Biblical Studies Houston
- College of the Mainland
- Collin County Community College District
- Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service
- Concordia University Texas
- Court Reporting Institute Wheeler Institute of Texas
- Culinary Institute Inc.
- Dallas Baptist University
- Dallas Christian College
- Dallas Institute of Funeral Service
- Del Mar College
- DeVry University Texas
- East Texas Baptist University
- Eastfield College
- El Centro College
- El Paso Community College
- Everest College Arlington
- Everest College Dallas
- Everest College Fort Worth
- Everest College Fort Worth South
- Frank Phillips College
- Galveston College
- Grayson County College
- Hardin Simmons University
- Hill College
- Houston Baptist University
- Houston Community College
- Howard College
- Howard Payne University
- Huston Tillotson University
- International Academy of Design and Technology San Antonio
- ITT Technical Institute Arlington
- ITT Technical Institute Austin
- ITT Technical Institute DeSoto
- ITT Technical Institute Houston North
- ITT Technical Institute Houston West
- ITT Technical Institute Richardson
- ITT Technical Institute San Antonio
- ITT Technical Institute Waco
- ITT Technical Institute Webster
- Jacksonville College Main Campus
- Jarvis Christian College
- KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts
- Kilgore College
- Lamar Institute of Technology
- Lamar State College Orange
- Lamar State College Port Arthur
- Lamar University
- Laredo Community College
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Austin
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Dallas
- Lee College
- LeTourneau University
- Lon Morris College
- Lone Star College System
- Lubbock Christian University
- McLennan Community College
- McMurry University
- Midland College
- Midwestern State University
- Mountain View College
- National American University Austin
- Navarro College
- North American College
- North Central Texas College
- North Lake College
- Northeast Texas Community College
- Northwest Vista College
- Northwood University Texas
- Odessa College
- Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio
- Palo Alto College
- Panola College
- Paris Junior College
- Paul Quinn College
- Prairie View A & M University
- Ranger College
- Remington College Dallas Campus
- Remington College Fort Worth Campus
- Remington College Houston Campus
- Remington College Houston Southeast Campus
- Remington College North Houston Campus
- Rice University
- Richland College
- Saint Edward's University
- Sam Houston State University
- San Antonio College
- San Jacinto Community College
- Sanford Brown College Dallas
- Sanford Brown College Houston
- Sanford Brown College Houston North Loop
- Sanford Brown College San Antonio
- Schreiner University
- South Plains College
- South Texas College
- South University The Art Institute of Dallas
- South University The Art Institute of Fort Worth
- Southern Methodist University
- Southwest Career College
- Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf
- Southwest Texas Junior College
- Southwestern Adventist University
- Southwestern Assemblies of God University
- Southwestern Christian College
- Southwestern University
- St Philip's College
- St. Mary's University
- Stephen F Austin State University
- Sul Ross State University
- Tarleton State University
- Tarrant County College District
- Temple College
- Texarkana College
- Texas A & M International University
- Texas A & M University College Station
- Texas A & M University Commerce
- Texas A & M University Corpus Christi
- Texas A & M University Galveston
- Texas A & M University Kingsville
- Texas A & M University Texarkana
- Texas Christian University
- Texas College
- Texas Lutheran University
- Texas Southern University
- Texas State Technical College Harlingen
- Texas State Technical College Waco
- Texas State Technical College Marshall
- Texas State Technical College West Texas
- Texas State University
- Texas Tech University
- Texas Wesleyan University
- Texas Woman's University
- The Art Institute of Austin
- The Art Institute of Houston
- The Art Institute of San Antonio
- The College of Saint Thomas More
- The University of Texas at Arlington
- The University of Texas at Austin
- The University of Texas at Brownsville
- The University of Texas at Dallas
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- The University of Texas at San Antonio
- The University of Texas at Tyler
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
- The University of Texas Pan American
- Trinity University
- Trinity Valley Community College
- Tyler Junior College
- University of Dallas
- University of Houston
- University of Houston Downtown
- University of Houston Victoria
- University of Mary Hardin Baylor
- University of North Texas
- University of Phoenix Austin Campus
- University of Phoenix Dallas Campus
- University of Phoenix Houston Campus
- University of Phoenix San Antonio Campus
- University of St Thomas
- University of the Incarnate Word
- Vernon College
- Vet Tech Institute of Houston
- Victoria College
- Virginia College Austin
- Wade College
- Wayland Baptist University
- Weatherford College
- West Texas A & M University
- Western Texas College
- Wharton County Junior College
- Wiley College
It is critical to make certain the college sexual misconduct investigation at your Texas school is handled properly and that the accused student's interests are protected from as early as possible during the sexual misconduct investigative process. One major reason is because even at colleges and universities where a finding of responsibility for sexual misconduct charges is made at a hearing, the investigation will set the stage for what the hearing panel is provided prior to a hearing (and what the hearing panel will in large part rely on at a hearing), and at schools where the finding of responsibility is made solely through the investigative process, what takes place during the investigation itself will determine whether the accused is found responsible or not responsible for college sexual misconduct charges.
Unfortunately, some students, families, and college employees make the mistake of not taking the necessary precautions as soon as possible when accused of sexual misconduct at college. Some people will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," their college or university will be fair and impartial and will arrive at the truth. In a perfect world this may be the case, but in a perfect world, sexual misconduct cases would not exist.
Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at universities and colleges throughout the nation for many years, Joseph D. Lento knows how important it is to mount the strongest defense because he understands that an accused's academic and professional future is on the line. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as a college sexual misconduct advisor to students and others in academia facing sexual misconduct investigations and Title IX disciplinary cases in Texas and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Sexual Misconduct Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686 or by completing our online form.
