College disciplinary violations in the state of Florida, particularly those involving sexual misconduct and Title IX, are often pursued by schools with little regard to an accused student's rights. The result is often the same: An allegation of misconduct is rubber stamped into a finding of guilt through a shoddy system of investigation and hearing that cares little for the truth.
Students who have been mistreated by this inadequate system can appeal to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a federal agency that protects the rights of students. Filing an OCR complaint, however, often takes the skills and knowledge of an attorney to do correctly.
What is the Office for Civil Rights?
The OCR is a federal agency in the Department of Education that protects the rights of students in the U.S. under a handful of federal laws. By submitting a complaint to the OCR, you can urge them to review your case for a violation of your rights. However, the OCR only handles complaints that were submitted within 180 days, and that implicate the rights guaranteed by one of the laws that the OCR enforces.
Investigation Process
If the OCR decides to investigate the complaint, it will notify both the aggrieved student and the university. This investigation is thorough and can involve your personal information, but largely retreads the same steps that your school's investigation took. However, the neutrality of the OCR's investigation makes it completely different.
If your school takes any adverse action against you for initiating the OCR investigation, that action can be the grounds for yet another OCR complaint based on intimidation or retaliation.
After the investigation, the OCR will issue a letter of findings, which will determine whether or not there was sufficient evidence to support an allegation that your school violated your rights. If the OCR finds that your school violated the law, the next step is to create a new resolution through mediation. If your school does not come to the table, though, the OCR will initiate administrative enforcement proceedings, which can implicate a school's federal funding.
Facilitated Resolution
In some cases, your school can come forward soon after being notified of the OCR's involvement and try to resolve the problem. If the OCR thinks that this could work, it will oversee settlement discussions between you and your school. While the OCR refuses to endorse or enforce any resolutions made during this mediation, if your school violates the agreement that you made, it can be the grounds for a new OCR complaint.
Joseph D. Lento: Florida's Title IX and OCR Complaint Attorney
Joseph D. Lento is a student discipline defense lawyer who represents students in Florida who have been accused of Title IX violations and who think their rights have been violated by their school's investigation procedures. With his help, you can craft the kind of complaint that brings the Office for Civil Rights into your case, gaining the kind of valuable oversight that can keep your rights intact and your school in line. Contact him online or by phone at 888-535-3686 for the help you need to make this happen.
Florida colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help you or your student file a Title IX complaint with the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Acupuncture and Massage College
- AI Miami International University of Art and Design
- American InterContinental University South Florida
- Argosy University Sarasota
- Argosy University Tampa
- Ave Maria University
- Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
- Barry University
- Beacon College
- Bethune Cookman University
- Brevard Community College
- Broward College
- Brown Mackie College Miami
- Carlos Albizu University Miami
- CBT College Cutler Bay
- Centura Institute
- Chamberlain College of Nursing Florida
- Chipola College
- City College Altamonte Springs
- City College Fort Lauderdale
- City College Gainesville
- City College Miami
- College of Business and Technology Flagler
- College of Business and Technology Hialeah
- College of Business and Technology Kendall
- College of Central Florida
- Daytona State College
- DeVry University Florida
- Digital Media Arts College
- Eckerd College
- Edison State College
- Edward Waters College
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
- Everest Institute Fort Lauderdale
- Everest Institute Hialeah
- Everest Institute Kendall
- Everest Institute North Miami
- Everest University Brandon
- Everest University Jacksonville
- Everest University Lakeland
- Everest University Largo
- Everest University Melbourne
- Everest University North Orlando
- Everest University Orange Park
- Everest University Pompano Beach
- Everest University South Orlando
- Everest University Tampa
- Everglades University
- Flagler College St Augustine
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Career College Clearwater
- Florida Career College Miami
- Florida Christian College
- Florida College
- Florida Gateway College
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Florida International University
- Florida Keys Community College
- Florida Memorial University
- Florida National College Main Campus
- Florida Southern College
- Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Florida State University
- Fortis College
- Fortis College Largo
- Fortis College Miami
- Fortis College Tampa
- Fortis College Winter Park
- Fortis Institute Pensacola
- Full Sail University
- Golf Academy of America Altamonte Springs
- Gulf Coast State College
- Herzing University Winter Park
- Hillsborough Community College
- Hobe Sound Bible College
- Hodges University
- Indian River State College
- International Academy of Design and Technology Online
- International Academy of Design and Technology Orlando
- International Academy of Design and Technology Tampa
- ITT Technical Institute Fort Lauderdale
- ITT Technical Institute Fort Myers
- ITT Technical Institute Jacksonville
- ITT Technical Institute Lake Mary
- ITT Technical Institute Miami
- ITT Technical Institute Orlando
- ITT Technical Institute St. Petersburg
- ITT Technical Institute Tallahassee
- ITT Technical Institute Tampa
- ITT Technical Institute University Park
- Jacksonville University
- Johnson & Wales University North Miami
- Jones College Jacksonville
- Jose Maria Vargas University
- Keiser University
- Key College
- Lake Sumter Community College
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando
- Lincoln College of Technology West Palm Beach
- Lynn University
- Medvance Institute Fort Lauderdale
- Medvance Institute Miami
- Medvance Institute West Palm
- Miami Ad School Miami Beach
- Miami Dade College
- Millennia Atlantic University
- New College of Florida
- North Florida Community College
- Northwest Florida State College
- Northwood University Florida
- Nova Southeastern University
- Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach
- Palm Beach State College
- Pasco Hernando Community College
- Pensacola State College
- Polk State College
- Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Miami Campus
- Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Orlando
- Remington College
- Remington College Tampa Campus
- Ringling College of Art and Design
- Rollins College
- Saint John Vianney College Seminary
- Saint Johns River State College
- Saint Leo University
- Saint Thomas University
- Sanford Brown Institute Ft Lauderdale
- Sanford Brown Institute Jacksonville
- Sanford Brown Institute Orlando
- Sanford Brown Institute Tampa
- Santa Fe College
- Schiller International University
- Seminole State College of Florida
- South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary
- South Florida Community College
- South University Tampa
- South University West Palm Beach
- Southeastern College
- Southeastern College
- Southeastern University
- Southwest Florida College
- St Petersburg College
- State College of Florida Manatee Sarasota
- Stenotype Institute of Jacksonville Inc. Jacksonville
- Stenotype Institute of Jacksonville Inc. Orlando
- Stetson University
- Tallahassee Community College
- Talmudic College of Florida
- Taylor College
- The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
- The Baptist College of Florida
- The University of Tampa
- The University of West Florida
- Trinity Baptist College
- Trinity College of Florida
- Trinity International University Florida
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Fort Lauderdale
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of Phoenix Central Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix North Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix South Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix West Florida Campus
- University of South Florida Main Campus
- University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus
- Valencia College
- Virginia College Jacksonville
- Virginia College Pensacola
- Warner University
- Webber International University
- Yeshivah Gedolah Rabbinical College
Students and parents at times do not realize until after a finding of responsibility and the imposition of adverse sanctions that sexual misconduct allegations at college can result in severe consequences academically and professionally and in the short and long-term. The earlier the necessary steps are taken to address a Title IX case, the better, because these are cases that can be won at the school-level. There are times, however, that the help of the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (DOE-OCR) is needed and Joseph D. Lento has a decade of experience passionately fighting for the futures of his clients at colleges and universities throughout the nation and has helped many clients seek recourse with the DOE-OCR. 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, who helps students in Florida with DOE-OCR Title IX complaints, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as a Title IX advisor to students facing disciplinary cases in Florida and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Title IX attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
