If you're a student attending a college or university in Wisconsin and you're facing a Title IX hearing, it's important to take necessary steps well in advance of the hearing itself. At a point in time during the course of the Title IX case, your school will prepare an investigation report. Prior to it being finalized, it needs to be responded to as strongly and as effectively as possible. All relevant documentation, information, and evidence at an absolute minimum needs to be included in the final report. Relevant text messages, social media posts, pictures, videos, phone logs, witness statements, or forensic evaluation, a toxicology report if consent is an issue, a polygraph examination.
All of these steps need to be taken so that the report is as strong as possible because once finalized, it's presented to the hearing panel. The hearing panel reviews the report in advance of the hearing, and has a strong sense of the case before the hearing even takes place. Attacking the accuser's credibility is key throughout the case, but especially during a hearing. Questions would need to be prepared with that in mind for the accused and the accuser's witnesses, and opening and closing statement would have to be prepared for the accused. The potential pitfalls and missteps and what needs to be avoided during the hearing itself would have to be considered and planned for in advance of the hearing. The hearing panel itself would have to be considered for potential bias and conflict. An experienced attorney adviser can help a party receive the best possible outcome at a hearing.