Title IX's prohibition against gender discrimination is expansive. The federal law covers a host of conduct that creates a hostile educational environment based on sex, like inequitable admission, athletic opportunities, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and sexual violence.
Throughout the years, there's been a need to extend the provisions of this law to protect a specific demographic of students that have had to fend for themselves for years against unrelenting hate and prejudice. LGBTQ+ students are subjected to discrimination, particularly sexual misconduct, at significantly higher rates than their non-queer counterparts.
But what about situations in which the respondent is a member of the LGBTQ+ community? There are few conversations surrounding the rare challenges LGBTQ+ students are presented when falsely accused of sexual misconduct. Existing in a demographic that is already incredibly marginalized while simultaneously being branded a perpetrator of any kind of sexual violence can be devastating for queer respondents. There is already an unshakeable stigma that plagues respondents. Before one can even prove their innocence, society projects a premature judgment onto respondents that will cause some people to treat them poorly.
Many LGBTQ+ students struggle to gain acceptance on college campuses in the first place. With these allegations attached to their name, the small community they once found refuge in may reject them, further isolating them. Not to mention that they're less likely to garner any type of sympathy due to society's perpetuation of stereotypes and false characterizations of their sexuality. To many, LGBTQ+ people are perceived as over-sexualized and impulsive with uncontrollable sexual urges. When people start to believe these stereotypes, it creates an even more dangerous environment for queer respondents who are already prone to being bullied and minimizes the likelihood of people believing their side of the story.
Unfortunately, innocent LGBTQ+ respondents often times aren't afforded any source of support. It's not unusual for their own family and friends, who may or may not secretly harbor feelings of prejudice, to question their innocence. This is why if you are a queer respondent, you absolutely need the legal guidance of a student defense attorney.
Your Rights
If you have been accused of sexual misconduct on a college campus, you are afforded several rights under Title IX:
- The right to receive notice of the charges brought against you
- The right to hear a description of the university's evidence against you
- The right to present your account of events to an impartial panel
- The right to have your case heard under standard procedures used for all similar cases
- The right to student services (like counseling)
- The right to have an attorney present during a hearing
Retaining an attorney during the Title IX process is the only way to ensure your rights are protected and ensure that the process remains fair.
Student Defense Attorney Helping Clients in New York
If you are an LGBTQ+ student in New York,whose been accused of sexual misconduct, it may seem like you're in the Title IX process alone. But you can retain an advocate who will be on your side, regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Attorney Joseph D. Lento has dedicated his entire life to helping students of all demographics put up a fight when falsely accused of sexual misconduct. He'll help you gather facts, testify, and gain an understanding of your school's policies and processes so you have a fighting chance. Contact him today at 888-535-3686.
New York colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your gay or lesbian student's Title IX advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
State University of New York (SUNY):
SUNY University Centers
- State University of New York at Buffalo
- Binghamton University
- Stony Brook University
- University at Albany, State University of New York
SUNY Technology College
- Alfred State College
- State University of New York at Canton
- State University of New York at Cobleskill
- State University of New York at Delhi
- State University of New York at Farmingdale
- State University of New York at Morrisville
- State University of New York Polytechnic Institute
- State University of New York Maritime College
SUNY Comprehensive Colleges
- Buffalo State College
- Empire State College, Saratoga Springs
- State University of New York at Brockport
- State University of New York at Cortland
- State University of New York at Fredonia
- State University of New York at Geneseo
- State University of New York at New Paltz
- State University of New York at Old Westbury
- State University of New York at Oswego
- State University of New York at Plattsburgh
- State University of New York at Potsdam
- Crane School of Music
- State University of New York at Purchase
SUNY Specialized Doctoral Granting Units
- State University of New York Downstate Medical Center
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- State University of New York State College of Optometry
SUNY Community Colleges
- Adirondack Community College
- Broome Community College
- Cayuga County Community College
- Clinton Community College
- Columbia-Greene Community College
- Corning Community College
- Dutchess Community College
- Erie Community College
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Finger Lakes Community College
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College
- Genesee Community College
- Herkimer County Community College
- Hudson Valley Community College
- Jamestown Community College
- Jefferson Community College
- Mohawk Valley Community College
- Monroe Community College
- Nassau Community College
- Niagara County Community College
- North Country Community College
- Onondaga Community College
- Orange County Community College
- Rockland Community College
- Schenectady County Community College
- Suffolk County Community College
- Sullivan County Community College
- Tompkins Cortland Community College
- Ulster County Community College
- Westchester Community College
SUNY State-wide Colleges
- Empire State College
- SUNY Learning Network
CUNY Senior Colleges and Graduate Schools
- Baruch College
- Brooklyn College
- City College
- Sophie Davis - School of Biomedical Education; School of Professional Studies
- College of Staten Island
- CUNY Graduate Center
- CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
- CUNY Law School
- Hunter College
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Lehman College
- Medgar Evers College
- New York City College of Technology at MetroTech
- Queens College
- Aaron Copland School of Music
- York College
CUNY Community Colleges
- Borough of Manhattan Community College
- Bronx Community College, University Heights
- Guttman Community College
- Hostos Community College
- Kingsborough Community College
- LaGuardia Community College
- Queensborough Community College
Federal-Service Academies
- United States Merchant Marine Academy (exempt from Title IX and the Clery Act)
- United States Military Academy (exempt from Title IX and the Clery Act)
Private Colleges and Universities
- Adelphi University
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Alfred University
- American Museum of Natural History; Richard Gilder Graduate School
- Bank Street College of Education
- Bard College
- Barnard College
- Brooklyn Law School
- Cazenovia College
- Clarkson University
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Watson School of Biological Sciences (graduate school)
- Colgate University
- Columbia University
- College of Dental Medicine
- Columbia Business School
- Columbia College
- Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
- Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Columbia Law School
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Graduate School of Journalism
- Mailman School of Public Health
- School of the Arts
- School of General Studies
- School of International and Public Affairs
- School of Social Work
- School of Nursing
- College of Physicians and Surgeons
- School of Professional Studies
- Cooper Union
- Cornell University
- Cornell Tech
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
- Weill Cornell Medicine
- Culinary Institute of America
- Daemen College
- Dowling College
- Elmira College
- Hamilton College
- Hartwick College
- Helene Fuld College of Nursing
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Hofstra University
- Frank G. Zarb School of Business
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Ithaca College
- Juilliard School
- Keuka College
- Long Island University
- LIU Brooklyn
- LIU Post (formerly C.W. Post)
- Manhattan School of Music
- Manhattanville College
- Marymount Manhattan College
- Medaille College
- Mercy College
- Metropolitan College of New York
- Monroe College
- Bronx campus
- New Rochelle campus
- The New School
- College of Performing Arts
- Eugene Lang College, School for Liberal Arts
- Parsons School of Design
- School for Social Research
- The Schools of Public Engagement
- New York Chiropractic College
- New York Institute of Technology
- Central Islip campus
- Columbus Circle
- Old Westbury campus
- New York University
- College of Arts & Science
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
- Gallatin School of Individualized Study
- Institute of Fine Arts
- Liberal Studies
- School of Law
- School of Medicine
- Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences
- Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
- School of Professional Studies
- School of Social Work
- Stern School of Business
- Tandon School of Engineering
- Tisch School of the Arts
- Pace University
- Manhattan campus
- Pleasantville campus
- White Plains campus
- Paul Smith's College
- Pratt Institute
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Sage Colleges
- Russell Sage College
- Sage College of Albany
- Sage Graduate Schools
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Skidmore College
- St. Lawrence University
- St. Thomas Aquinas College
- University of Rochester
- Eastman School of Music
- College of Arts Sciences and Engineering
- Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
- Simon Business School
- Union College
- Utica College
- Vassar College
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Villa Maria College
- Webb Institute
- Wells College
Private Colleges and Academies (For Profit)
- ASA College
- Downtown Brooklyn campus
- Midtown Manhattan campus
- White Plains campus
- Berkeley College
- Brooklyn campus
- Midtown Manhattan campus
- DeVry University
- Five Towns College
- Globe Institute of Technology
- LIM College (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising)
- New York Film Academy
Religious Affiliated/Oriented Private Institutions
- Canisius College
- College of Mount Saint Vincent
- College of New Rochelle
- College of St. Rose
- Concordia College
- Davis College
- Dominican College
- D'Youville College
- Fordham University
- Lincoln Center campus
- Rose Hill campus
- General Theological Seminary
- Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
- The Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music
- Hilbert College
- Houghton College
- Iona College
- Jewish Theological Seminary of America
- King's College
- Le Moyne College
- Manhattan College
- Marist College
- Molloy College
- Montefiore Medical Center and Yeshiva University
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Mount Saint Mary College
- Nazareth College
- New York Theological Seminary at The Interchurch Center
- Niagara University
- Nyack College
- Roberts Wesleyan College
- Siena College
- St. Bonaventure University
- St. Francis College
- St. John's University
- St. Joseph's College
- St. John Fisher College
- Syracuse University
- Touro College
- College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Manhattan
- Lander College for Men
- Lander College for Women – The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School
- Lander Institute
- Law Center
- Trocaire College
- Union Theological Seminary
- Wagner College
- Yeshiva University
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
- Stern College for Women
- Sy Syms School of Business
- Yeshiva College
Approximately 10% of college students in the United States identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, or questioning according to studies and LGBTQ+ students should not feel alone when accused of sexual misconduct. As importantly, they should they not face such burdens alone or without the necessary support and guidance.
The reason LGBTQ+ students should not go through the Title IX process alone is because, as with all students accused of sexual misconduct, Title IX allegations and charges can change an accused student's life if not defended against properly and as early as possible during the disciplinary process. It is critical to have a dedicated and experienced advocate when facing a challenge in life and Joseph D. Lento has more than a decade of experience passionately fighting for the future of LGBTQ+ students at universities and colleges throughout the nation. 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 York and New Jersey and serves as a Title IX advisor to students facing Title IX and disciplinary cases in New York and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact New York Title IX attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
