Defense For Title IX Investigations in California

Under Title IX, higher education institutions must adjudicate all allegations of sexual misconduct committed by and/or against students and staff. The investigation is an important part of the administrative process colleges and universities use to determine whether Title IX has been violated.

The Role of an Advisor

Individuals who bring allegations (complainants) and individuals responding to these allegations (respondents) are afforded the right to choose a person to serve as their advisor. This right is extended because the process can be complex, and these parties will need guidance from beginning to end. Choosing the right advisor is crucial to achieving a favorable outcome.

The Benefits of Choosing an Attorney as Your Title IX Advisor

Respondents are given the freedom to choose anyone as their advisor. For their own well-being, it is critical that they consider selecting an attorney to occupy this position. An experienced attorney understands the ins and outs of the process and understands where they fit in this debacle and how they can be useful. A legal professional is also knowledgeable enough to identify if your rights are being protected and properly exercised.

The Title IX Process

Here is a general overview of the process that is conducted in California schools:

• A complaint is filed: higher education institutions encourage all members of the campus community to report any instances of alleged sexual misconduct. Therefore, a complaint can be reported by anyone, from a “victim” to a spectator to school staff.
• Interim measures: once a complaint is filed, the school's primary concern is keeping complainants, other involved parties and the campus community safe from retaliation. This why a college may deem it necessary to impose interim measures. These measures - solely imposed upon respondents - severely limit all of the interactions between a complainant a respondent.
• The investigation: a formal investigation conducted by an objective party will be carried out. During this period, complainants, respondents, witnesses and any other relevant parties will be thoroughly interviewed. Based on the information gathered, the investigator(s) will come up with a finding.
• Hearing: this is the last opportunity for both sides to tell their side of the story. A panel will listen to testimony, witness accounts, and final statements. After deliberation, the panel will come up with a determination and recommended sanctions.
• Sanctioning: If the hearing panel reveals that a respondent is “responsible” for violating Title IX, sanctions like treatment, an intervention, the removal of scholarships, suspension, or expulsion are issued.
• Appeals: An appeal is a request for a school to reconsider is decision-based on reasonable grounds. If any party is not satisfied with the outcome of an investigation or proposed sanction, he or she may file an appeal.

California Title IX Advisor

If you attend a California college or university and are facing sexual misconduct allegations, it is crucial you contact an attorney. For students who haven't been through this process before, it can be confusing and scary. Preparation is the key to favorable results. Skilled legal professional Joseph D. Lento has extensive experience preparing respondents for an investigation and the entire Title IX process. Contact him today for help.

California colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's Title IX advisor during investigations (in addition to hearings and appeals) include, but are not limited to, the following schools:

• Academy of Art University
• Allan Hancock College
• American Academy of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles
• American Conservatory Theater
• American Jewish University
• American River College
• American University of Health Sciences
• Antelope Valley College
• Argosy University Inland Empire
• Argosy University Los Angeles
• Argosy University Orange County
• Argosy University San Diego
• Argosy University San Francisco Bay Area
• Art Center College of Design
• Azusa Pacific Online University
• Azusa Pacific University
• Bakersfield College
• Barstow Community College
• Berkeley City College
• Bethesda University of California
• Biola University
• Brooks Institute
• Bryan University
• Butte College
• Cabrillo College
• California Baptist University
• California Christian College
• California College of the Arts
• California College San Diego
• California Culinary Academy
• California Institute of Technology
• California Institute of the Arts
• California Lutheran University
• California Maritime Academy
• California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
• California State Polytechnic University Pomona
• California State University Bakersfield
• California State University Channel Islands
• California State University Chico
• California State University Dominguez Hills
• California State University East Bay
• California State University Fresno
• California State University Fullerton
• California State University Long Beach
• California State University Los Angeles
• California State University Monterey Bay
• California State University Northridge
• California State University Sacramento
• California State University San Bernardino
• California State University San Marcos
• California State University Stanislaus
• Canada College
• Cerritos College
• Cerro Coso Community College
• Chabot College
• Chaffey College Rancho
• Chapman University
• Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Citrus College
• City College of San Francisco
• Claremont McKenna College
• Coastline Community College
• Cogswell College
• Coleman University
• College of Alameda
• College of Marin
• College of San Mateo
• College of the Canyons
• College of the Desert
• College of the Redwoods
• College of the Sequoias
• College of the Siskiyous
• Columbia College
• Columbia College Hollywood
• Community Christian College
• Concordia University Irvine
• Contra Costa College
• Copper Mountain Community College
• Cosumnes River College
• Crafton Hills College
• Cuesta College San Luis
• Cuyamaca College
• Cypress College
• De Anza College
• Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
• Design Institute of San Diego
• DeVry University California
• Diablo Valley College
• Dominican University of California
• East Los Angeles College
• East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program
• El Camino College Compton Center
• El Camino Community College District
• Epic Bible College
• Everest College Anaheim
• Everest College City of Industry
• Everest College Ontario Metro
• Everest College Reseda
• Everest College West Los Angeles
• Evergreen Valley College
• Expression College for Digital Arts
• Fashion Careers College
• Feather River Community College District
• FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Los Angeles
• FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Orange County
• FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Diego
• FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Francisco
• Folsom Lake College
• Foothill College
• Fresno City College
• Fresno Pacific University
• Fullerton College
• Gavilan College
• Glendale Community College
• Golden West College
• Golf Academy of America Carlsbad
• Grossmont College
• Hands on Medical Massage School
• Hartnell College
• Harvey Mudd College
• Heald College Concord
• Heald College Fresno
• Heald College Hayward
• Heald College Modesto
• Heald College Roseville
• Heald College San Francisco
• Heald College San Jose
• Heald College Stockton
• Holy Names University
• Hope International University
• Horizon College San Diego
• Humboldt State University
• Humphreys College Stockton and Modesto Campuses
• Imperial Valley College
• International Academy of Design and Technology Sacramento
• International Professional School of Bodywork
• Irvine Valley College
• ITT Technical Institute Clovis
• ITT Technical Institute Concord
• ITT Technical Institute Corona
• ITT Technical Institute Culver City
• ITT Technical Institute Lathrop
• ITT Technical Institute Oakland
• ITT Technical Institute Orange
• ITT Technical Institute Oxnard
• ITT Technical Institute Rancho Cordova
• ITT Technical Institute San Bernardino
• ITT Technical Institute San Diego
• ITT Technical Institute San Dimas
• ITT Technical Institute Sylmar
• ITT Technical Institute Torrance
• ITT Technical Institute West Covina
• John Paul the Great Catholic University
• King's University
• La Sierra University
• Laguna College of Art and Design
• Lake Tahoe Community College
• Laney College
• Las Positas College
• Lassen Community College
• Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Pasadena
• Life Pacific College
• Lincoln University
• Long Beach City College
• Los Angeles City College
• Los Angeles College of Music
• Los Angeles Harbor College
• Los Angeles Mission College
• Los Angeles Pierce College
• Los Angeles Southwest College
• Los Angeles Trade Technical College
• Los Angeles Valley College
• Los Medanos College
• Loyola Marymount University
• Marymount College
• Mendocino College
• Menlo College
• Merced College
• Merritt College
• Mills College
• MiraCosta College
• Mission College
• Modesto Junior College
• Monterey Peninsula College
• Moorpark College
• Moreno Valley College
• Mount St. Mary's College
• Mt Sierra College
• Mt. San Antonio College
• Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
• Musicians Institute
• Napa Valley College
• National University
• Newschool of Architecture and Design
• Norco College
• Notre Dame de Namur University
• Occidental College
• Ohlone Community College
• Orange Coast College
• Otis College of Art and Design
• Oxnard College
• Pacific College of Oriental Medicine LLC San Diego
• Pacific States University
• Pacific Union College
• Palo Verde College
• Palomar College
• Pasadena City College
• Patten University
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Platt College Los Angeles
• Platt College Ontario
• Platt College San Diego
• Point Loma Nazarene University
• Pomona College
• Porterville College
• Professional Golfers Career College
• Providence Christian College
• Reedley College
• Rio Hondo College
• Riverside City College
• Sacramento City College
• Saddleback College
• Sage College
• Saint Marys College of California
• San Diego Christian College
• San Diego City College
• San Diego Mesa College
• San Diego Miramar College
• San Diego State University
• San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus
• San Francisco Art Institute
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music
• San Francisco State University
• San Joaquin Delta College
• San Joaquin Valley College Bakersfield
• San Joaquin Valley College Fresno
• San Joaquin Valley College Fresno Aviation
• San Joaquin Valley College Hesperia
• San Joaquin Valley College Modesto
• San Joaquin Valley College Online
• San Joaquin Valley College Rancho Cordova
• San Joaquin Valley College Rancho Cucamonga
• San Joaquin Valley College Temecula
• San Joaquin Valley College Visalia
• San Jose City College
• San Jose State University
• Santa Ana College
• Santa Barbara Business College Bakersfield
• Santa Barbara Business College Santa Maria
• Santa Barbara Business College Ventura
• Santa Barbara City College
• Santa Clara University
• Santa Monica College
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• Santiago Canyon College
• Scripps College
• Shasta Bible College and Graduate School
• Shasta College
• Sierra College
• Simpson University
• Skyline College
• Soka University of America
• Solano Community College
• Sonoma State University
• Southern California Institute of Architecture
• Southern California Institute of Technology
• Southern California Seminary
• Southwestern College
• Stanford University
• SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
• Taft College
• Taft University System
• The Art Institute of California Hollywood
• The Art Institute of California Inland Empire
• The Art Institute of California Los Angeles
• The Art Institute of California Orange County
• The Art Institute of California Sacramento
• The Art Institute of California San Diego
• The Art Institute of California San Francisco
• The Art Institute of California Sunnyvale
• The Master's College and Seminary
• The National Hispanic University
• Thomas Aquinas College
• Touro College Los Angeles
• Trident University International
• Unitek College
• University of California Berkeley
• University of California Davis
• University of California Irvine
• University of California Los Angeles
• University of California Merced
• University of California Riverside
• University of California San Diego
• University of California Santa Barbara
• University of California Santa Cruz
• University of La Verne
• University of Phoenix Bay Area Campus
• University of Phoenix Central Valley Campus
• University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus
• University of Phoenix San Diego Campus
• University of Phoenix Southern California Campus
• University of Redlands
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California
• University of the Pacific
• University of the West
• Vanguard University of Southern California
• Ventura College
• Victor Valley College
• West Coast Ultrasound Institute
• West Coast University Los Angeles
• West Coast University Ontario
• West Coast University Orange County
• West Hills College Coalinga
• West Hills College Lemoore
• West Los Angeles College
• West Valley College
• Westmont College
• Westwood College Anaheim
• Westwood College Inland Empire
• Westwood College Los Angeles
• Westwood College South Bay
• Whittier College
• William Jessup University
• Woodbury University
• Woodland Community College
• World Mission University
• Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary
• Yuba College

It is critical to make certain the Title IX investigation at your college or university is handled properly and that the accused student's or employee's interests are protected from as early as possible during the sexual misconduct investigative process.  One major reason is because even at 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 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 Title IX 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.  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 and Title IX charges would not exist. 

Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at universities and colleges throughout the nation for a decade, 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, 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 and educational consultant to students facing sexual misconduct investigations and disciplinary cases in California and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Title IX attorney Joseph D. Lento today.