Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that every university student should understand. The more they learn, the more they understand how serious and unpredictable the Title IX process is. Retaining a capable attorney from the LLF Law Firm should be your first priority whenever you are accused of an offense that falls within Title IX statutes.
Our Student Defense Team understands Title IX-specific laws and procedures better than our clients possibly could. While most students we represent are encountering Title IX for the first time, we have helped countless others through investigations, hearings, appeals, and the many other steps involved in the rigorous Title IX process.
Whether you or your student has been falsely accused or whether a slip-up places them in the eye of a perilous Title IX process, it's worth speaking with our team. We have seen far too many students' lives devastated by unwarranted sanctions and the secondary consequences those sanctions cause, including years-long reputational harm. We want to spare you or your student from that.
Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to discuss how we can prepare you for and guide you through any Title IX proceedings. Even if you have yet to receive formal notice of disciplinary proceedings, contact us. Being prepared is far better than the alternative.
What Offenses Do Title IX Statutes Govern?
One of the many critiques of Title IX is the sheer scope of the law. As years have passed, university Title IX offices nationwide have come to be responsible for allegations of:
- Stalking
- Harassment
- Sexual assault
- Dating violence
- Discrimination (which can even include language)
- Hazing
- Bullying
There may be other allegations that are referred to your school's Title IX office for evaluation and adjudication. The truth is, while we are familiar with the Title IX process, there is very little certainty about how each school will handle each specific complaint against a student.
The Title IX office at Wilkes University might handle a Title IX complaint in an entirely different manner than the Title IX office at the University of Scranton or Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Even if these schools have similar procedures written in their policies, there is no telling how an investigator or Title IX Coordinator will implement those procedures.
Steps to Take as Soon as You Are Notified of a Title IX Complaint Against You (or Your Student)
When you face anything as daunting, high-stakes, and complicated as a Title IX investigation, you should not hesitate to hire an experienced attorney from the LLF Law Firm. A checklist to follow as soon as you are notified of a Title IX complaint against you includes:
- Reach out to the LLF Law Firm Student Defense Team: Our team is always available to speak with you. We know that a notice of impending Title IX proceedings can occupy your thoughts and cause immense distress. The sooner you speak with us, the sooner you can feel at ease. We will prepare you for everything that lies ahead, and having our experience and resources on your side should provide much-needed confidence.
- Do not make any formal statements until you've retained us: A single misspoken word can be used against you, and could prove immensely harmful, during Title IX proceedings. Protecting you is the greatest value we offer. Allow us to prevent any potential rights violations by advising and accompanying you throughout every step of the Title IX process.
- Take care of your mental health while we manage your defense: Any allegation of wrongdoing is distressing. You should take such an allegation seriously. That said, we need you to take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. We believe that retaining our Student Defense Team will bring welcome peace of mind, as you won't feel like you're fighting these allegations on your own.
This is a fairly straightforward checklist, but its importance cannot be overstated. Title IX investigators work for your school, and their interests are unlikely to align with yours. Hiring us gives you a team that is 100% invested in you and that you can trust implicitly.
What Not to Do When You're Facing the Title IX Process
We encourage you to contact us as soon as you can. In the meantime, we want to make sure you don't make any of the common mistakes that place students in difficult circumstances during the Title IX process.
Any student accused of wrongdoing—whether at King's College, Marywood University, Penn State Scranton, or any other school—should not:
- Assume everything will work out on its own: You do not want to leave any room to chance when your reputation is at stake. We will explain just how high the stakes are when you are the target of a Title IX investigation, and assuming everything will be fine is unwise. Instead, take a proactive approach by retaining our team.
- Give Title IX coordinators or other decision makers the benefit of the doubt: Even if you know the Title IX coordinator, or they seem nice, you know very little about how they will handle allegations against you. Mistakes happen. Unfair perceptions and biases can skew how decision makers view you. Title IX coordinators and other responsible parties sometimes get it wrong. Never give too much credit to those who hold your reputation and future in their hands.
- Delay in retaining an attorney from our team: Once you know you have been accused of something that could trigger Title IX proceedings, it's time to speak with the LLF Law Firm Team. We take advantage of all the prep time afforded to us, and it's always better to retain us sooner rather than later.
Once you retain our Student Defense Team to spearhead your case and represent you with those involved in the Title IX process, then you can relax. We will alert you if you need to do anything related to the process. Until you retain us, though, you should be cautious and aware that even a slight mistake could prove catastrophic.
We Have Navigated Title IX Proceedings Many Times. Here's What You Can Expect.
Remember that Title IX proceedings are unpredictable by nature because:
That being said, we can at least look at the guidelines that specific schools publish. These guidelines provide a rough outline of what is to come, and we can use Marywood University's policies and procedures as an example. Once the Title IX office receives a complaint, the subsequent process includes:
- The preliminary inquiry into the complaint: The Title IX Coordinator evaluates all available information and evidence to determine if, in their opinion, a violation of the school's policies may have occurred. When in doubt, Title IX Coordinators may proceed with an investigation so they are not accused of dismissing a credible complaint.
- The Title IX Coordinator makes a decision: The three primary options are to not proceed with an investigation, to proceed with a formal investigation, or to seek an informal resolution.
- An investigation may unfold: Title IX investigators can unfold rapidly, which is why we urge you to speak with the LLF Law Firm Team as soon as you can. You may be asked to undergo interviews, refer the investigator to witnesses who support your defense, and provide any evidence in your defense. It's critically important that we accompany you throughout the investigation, as some questions may be misleading, confusing, or asked with the presumption of guilt.
- An informal resolution may be reached by the complainant and the target of the complaint. In some cases, the person who files the complaint and the student accused of wrongdoing can reach an informal resolution. However, the complainant has full discretion over whether to engage in informal discussions. At Marywood, cases involving sexual assault and sexual violence cannot conclude with an informal resolution.
- The Title IX Coordinator may determine sanctions: After the investigation concludes, the Title IX Coordinator has the power to “determine sanctions.” This shows how imperfect the Title IX process can be—ultimately, a single person can decide to issue life-changing sanctions.
- A panel may review the case and render a decision. If the Title IX Coordinator does not feel confident rendering a decision, they may assemble a panel to review findings and issue a decision.
A hearing could also be part of this process, perhaps if and when the Title IX Coordinator appoints a panel to make a decision. If you are sanctioned, you should also have the right to appeal the decision.
As you can see, even when a university explains its procedures, there is a ton of ambiguity about how the process will unfold. It's not even certain who will be responsible for making a final decision in a Title IX case—it could be the investigator, Title IX Coordinator, or a panel. Our Student Defense Team is quick to adapt to whatever circumstances we face, in part because we have helped students through Title IX proceedings time and time again.
Potential Sanctions Title IX Decision Makers Can Impose on Students
The sanctions you could face if found responsible for the complaint against you may depend on:
- Whether you have a prior disciplinary history
- The specific allegation(s) you are accused of
- How those who render a decision in your case view the severity of the allegation(s) against you
- How confident decision makers are that you committed the offense(s) you are accused of committing
Some of the formal sanctions that you might be subject to include:
- A formal warning
- A formal reprimand
- Probation
- Loss of privileges
- No-contact orders
- Mandatory activities, like community service
- Loss of housing privileges
- Suspension
- Expulsion
In most Title IX cases we handle, we aim to help the student avoid sanctions altogether. There are some cases, though, in which the student has committed an infraction. College students make mistakes, and some of those mistakes fall within the scope of Title IX.
When you retain our team, we will quickly discuss your circumstances and identify the target goal for your defense.
The Weight of Title IX Sanctions Don't Stop at the Sanctions Themselves
Just be aware that anytime a school deems a student responsible for a Title IX violation, they can trigger a cascade of consequences. Rarely are the sanctions issued by the school the only harm the accused student suffers, as they might also:
- Be removed from leadership positions, clubs, and organizations
- Lost internship and job opportunities (or even be terminated from current positions)
- Become unable to earn valedictorian status, honors, or other academic distinctions
- Become a less appealing job candidate
- Face difficult questions about sanctions on their record for years to come, including from prospective employers
These and other consequences of Title IX sanctions can take a psychological, emotional, and financial toll. We fight to spare students from this toll, both by disproving allegations against them and seeking lenient sanctions when the student has made a mistake.
We say this only to emphasize how important it is that you present as strong a defense as possible. Our team is confident in providing such a strong defense. We take a comprehensive, systematic approach in compiling evidence, gathering witness testimony, and advocating for the students we represent.
The LLF Law Firm Fights for Students. Here's Why We're Fit to Fight for You.
Of all the firms to represent you during Title IX proceedings, we believe the LLF Law Firm is supremely fit because:
- We have helped students through the Title IX process for many years
- Our firm dedicates many resources, including legal professionals and financial backing, to students facing the Title IX process
- Our relationships with experts nationwide often prove beneficial in Title IX defenses
- We understand how a Title IX sanction can affect a student for the foreseeable future, and we have an immense passion for defending young people—even when they make unfortunate mistakes, their future should not be ruined because of it
Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to learn more about why we are the team to hire in the face of Title IX proceedings.
