Is your student facing Title IX proceedings at your Kentucky high school? If so, it may be time to consider hiring a successful legal advisor to help protect your student's rights. Title IX is a law that the federal government enacted under the Educational Amendments of 1972. It promises to protect your child from sexual assault or discrimination at a public school—including your high school. However, your high school may not have the experience to deal with a Title IX case effectively, or even fairly.

Your school may naturally side with the accuser in a Title IX case. This makes it vital that you be proactive about protecting your student. Even false allegations of sexual misconduct can lead to unwarranted punishments, some of which may affect your student for the rest of their academic and professional career.

Title IX Cases in Kentucky: Does Sexual Misconduct Happen in High School?

It can be very easy to think that your students are too young to face instances of sexual assault. Title IX cases and sexual misconduct proceedings occur on the news every day—but not in your town, at your local Kentucky high school!

Unfortunately, sexual misconduct in small Kentucky schools is far from uncommon. Recently, local news reported that one Kentucky high school student faced charges of sexual assault after an alleged incident on a school bus. That student experienced jail time after the school's investigation.

A Title IX allegation is a very serious matter. Your school should act with haste to ensure justice in your school, and safety for all students. However, your school's actions to work towards safety should not victimize your student. False accusations of sexual misconduct can be devastating—and a Title IX investigation, even if unwarranted, can follow your student for the rest of their life.

What Constitutes Sexual Harassment or Assault?

As you are learning more about your student's Title IX case, you might wonder what actions fall under Title IX. According to one Kentucky high school's posted policies, Title IX's definition of sexual harassment includes:

• Uninvited or unwanted sexual favors, advances, or requests
• Sexual conduct which is unwelcome, whether it be verbal, visual, or physical
• Remarks regarding someone else's sex that are offensive
• Any sexual misconduct which specifically interferes with a student's right to their education
• Acts of sexual violence may include:
• Abuse or assault of a sexual nature
• Rape (including attempted rape)
• Any inappropriate touching
• Sexual advances which are aggressive

As you can see, there are many actions which your school can investigate under Title IX. It is vital that you work with an advisor who has a keen understanding of Title IX policies so that you can be sure you're being proactive about protecting your student.

KY High Schools and Student Discipline Procedures

The United States Office for Civil Rights makes it clear that every federally funded high school must have procedures in place for dealing with Title IX cases. The OCR allows each state to write and maintain their own policies based on state-specific situations and subtleties. As a result, every state in the nation has differing Title IX procedures. This lack of uniformity can extend to school districts as well.

When you are educating yourself on Title IX procedures, you need to work with someone who knows your state's protocols in great detail. This can be difficult: Each district might have slightly different grievance procedures. Moreover, your KY high school might not have the trained personnel or resources available to manage your student's case fairly.

Many districts write their Title IX policies with the safety of the accuser in mind. Your school may not prioritize the rights of the accused in their documents. According to the grievance procedures at one Kentucky institution, the school must send written notices of all findings and decisions relating to the Title IX process to the accuser - or the complainant. Those procedures do not dictate that the school afford the accused the same right.

Title IX proceedings can often require detailed knowledge of legal proceedings and quick action on your part. For example, according to the dispute resolution process at another Kentucky high school, your student may only have a short window to appeal unwarranted corrective action recommended by your school. If you are not familiar with legal documents, managing paperwork, or representing yourself with confidence, it may be in your student's best interest that you hire a competent Title IX advisor to deal with the paperwork and speak on your student's behalf.

Making Sure that Your High School Treats Your Student Fairly

If you and your family are facing Title IX procedures, you may be wondering, very simply, what is at stake for your child. The list of recommended disciplinary measures can vary and will depend upon your specific school district's policies.

The recommended corrective action will also be specific to the severity of the alleged incident. Various punishments that your child may face include:

• Suspension or expulsion from your high school, or recommendation for alternate educational programs
• Further criminal charges which could result in an arrest and jail time
• A serious hit to your child's reputation
• A new entry on your student's permanent disciplinary record
• Mandatory counseling
• Adherence to a behavioral contract

An Experienced Title IX Advisor Ready to Fight for Your Child

If your student stands accused of sexual misconduct, you may be wondering what you need to do next. Start by contacting Joseph D. Lento — an experienced and driven high school Title IX advisor ready to assist with your case. Joseph D. Lento has more than a thousand student misconduct cases, both in Kentucky and all across the country. If your case is in its investigative process, he'll help with witness interviews and document preparation. If your school has offered adjudication through a hearing, he can help with that as well. Contact the Lento Law Firm today by calling 888-535-3686, or you can fill out our brief online form to get all the information you need.

Kentucky high schools where Joseph D. Lento can help as your child's student's Title IX advisor during investigations, hearings and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following school districts:

A

• Adair County Schools
• Allen County Schools
• Anchorage Independent Schools
• Anderson County Schools
• Ashland Independent School District
• Augusta Independent Schools

B

• Ballard County Schools
• Barbourville Independent Schools
• Bardstown City Schools
• Barren County Schools
• Bath County Schools
• Beechwood Independent School District (Fort Mitchell)
• Bell County Schools
• Bellevue Independent Schools
• Berea Independent Schools
• Boone County Schools
• Bourbon County Schools
• Bowling Green Independent Schools
• Boyd County Public Schools
• Boyle County School District
• Bracken County Schools
• Breathitt County Schools
• Breckinridge County Schools
• Bullitt County Public Schools
• Burgin Independent Schools
• Butler County Schools

C

• Caldwell County Schools
• Calloway County Schools
• Campbell County Schools
• Campbellsville Independent Schools
• Carlisle County Schools
• Carroll County Schools
• Carter County Schools
• Casey County Schools
• Caverna Independent Schools (Cave City/Horse Cave)
• Christian County Public Schools
• Clark County Schools
• Clay County Schools
• Clinton County Schools
• Cloverport Independent Schools
• Corbin Independent School District
• Covington Independent Public Schools
• Crittenden County Schools
• Cumberland County Schools

D

• Danville Independent Schools
• Daviess County Public Schools
• Dawson Springs Independent Schools
• Dayton Independent Schools

E

• East Bernstadt Independent School
• Edmonson County Schools
• Elizabethtown Independent Schools
• Elliott County Schools
• Eminence Independent Schools
• Erlanger-Elsmere Schools
• Estill County Schools

F

• Fairview Independent Schools (Westwood, Boyd County)
• Fayette County Public Schools
• Fleming County Schools
• Floyd County Schools
• Fort Thomas Independent Schools
• Frankfort Independent Schools
• Franklin County Public Schools
• Fulton County Schools
• Fulton Independent Schools

G

• Gallatin County Schools
• Garrard County Schools
• Glasgow Independent Schools
• Grant County Schools
• Graves County Schools
• Grayson County Schools
• Green County Schools
• Greenup County Schools

H

• Hancock County Schools
• Hardin County Schools
• Harlan County Public Schools
• Harlan Independent Schools
• Harrison County Schools
• Hart County Schools
• Hazard Independent Schools
• Henderson County Schools
• Henry County Schools
• Hickman County Schools
• Hopkins County Schools

J

• Jackson County Public Schools
• Jackson Independent School District
• Jefferson County Public Schools
• Jenkins Independent Schools
• Jessamine County Schools
• Johnson County Schools

K

• Kenton County School District
• Kentucky District
• Knott County Schools
• Knox County Public Schools

L

• LaRue County Schools
• Laurel County Schools
• Lawrence County Schools
• Lee County School District
• Leslie County Schools
• Letcher County Public Schools
• Lewis County Schools
• Lincoln County Schools
• Livingston County Schools
• Logan County Schools
• Ludlow Independent Schools
• Lyon County Schools

M

• Madison County Schools
• Magoffin County Schools
• Marion County Schools
• Marshall County Schools
• Martin County Schools
• Mason County Schools
• Mayfield Independent Schools
• McCracken County Public Schools
• McCreary County Schools
• McLean County Schools
• Meade County Schools
• Menifee County Schools
• Mercer County Schools
• Metcalfe County Schools
• Middlesboro Independent Schools
• Monroe County School District
• Montgomery County Schools
• Monticello Independent School
• Morgan County Schools
• Muhlenberg County Schools
• Murray Independent Schools

N

• Nelson County School District
• Newport Independent Schools
• Nicholas County Schools

O

• Ohio County Schools
• Oldham County Schools
• Owen County Schools
• Owensboro Public Schools
• Owsley County Schools

P

• Paducah Public Schools
• Paintsville Independent Schools
• Paris Independent Schools
• Pendleton County Schools
• Perry County Schools
• Pike County Schools
• Pikeville Independent Schools
• Pineville Independent Schools
• Powell County Schools
• Pulaski County Schools

R

• Raceland-Worthington Independent Schools
• Robertson County Schools
• Rockcastle County Schools
• Rowan County Schools
• Russell County Schools
• Russell Independent Schools (Russell, Flatwoods, and Bellefonte)
• Russellville Independent Schools

S

• Science Hill Independent Schools
• Scott County Schools
• Shelby County Public Schools
• Silver Grove Independent Schools
• Simpson County Schools
• Somerset Independent Schools
• Southgate Independent Schools
• Spencer County Schools

T

• Taylor County Schools
• Todd County Schools
• Trigg County Schools
• Trimble County Schools

U

• Union County Schools

W

• Walton-Verona Independent Schools
• Warren County Public Schools
• Washington County Schools
• Wayne County Schools
• Webster County Schools
• West Point School
• Whitley County School District
• Williamsburg Independent Schools
• Williamstown Independent Schools
• Wolfe County Schools
• Woodford County Schools

It is critical to make certain the Title IX investigation at your child's Kentucky high school is handled properly and that the accused student's interests and rights are protected from as early as possible during the sexual misconduct investigative process.  One major reason is because even at high schools 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 high 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 student is found responsible or not responsible for Title IX charges.

Unfortunately, some parents make the mistake of not taking the necessary precautions as soon as possible when accused of sexual misconduct.  Some people will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," their school 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 allegations and Title IX charges would not exist.

Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at schools 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 high school student's academic 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 Title IX attorney advisor to high school students facing sexual misconduct investigations and disciplinary cases in Kentucky and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National High School Title IX Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.