Title IX of the Education Amendments is a federal civil rights statute that protects students attending higher education institutions from gender discrimination. Its enforcement prompts Maine colleges and universities to act when they receive complaints involving gender-based discrimination.
Title IX has been applied in a broad range of intercollegiate issues throughout the years, but recently, it's most commonly referenced in cases that involve sexual misconduct.
Sexual misconduct is being committed at epidemic-like rates on college campuses, and if you haven't been living under a rock over the past couple years, you've seen the statistics and read the stories. News outlets have continuously covered the alarming rates of this behavior in various state colleges, citing many incidents of sexual misconduct every school year.
In any and all of its forms, sexual misconduct falls under the umbrella of gender discrimination. Therefore, when colleges and universities are notified of an incident, they are responsible for conducting an investigation, holding a hearing, and enforcing disciplinary actions (if a perpetrator is found responsible for the alleged sexual misconduct).
Due to pressure from the general public, survivors, and federal entities, higher education institutions cannot afford to make the mistake of mismanaging or ignoring cases. Allegations will not be taken lightly, and the stigma these allegations carry will undoubtedly affect all aspects of your life. This is why it's critical for college professors who have been accused of sexual misconduct to seek experienced and strong legal counsel.
Why You Need Legal Representation
The damage to a professor's career, with or without tenure, can be utterly devastating. While our firm believes wholeheartedly that sexual misconduct is unacceptable under any circumstances, we also maintain that accused faculty should also be afforded civil rights and due process under the law.
As much as you would like to believe schools are always fair, sometimes they don't play by their own rules. In a swing of the pendulum, institutions that were once lax and arguably apathetic in their approach to adjudication are now aggressively pursuing complaints - all due to the Department of Education's letter that subtly threatened to strip funding in schools who ignored victims. As a result, the repercussions for the falsely accused are life-altering. With the help of a seasoned Title IX defense attorney, college professors can keep their rights intact, hold the school accountable for any inequity, and achieve an impartial and fair trial.
Maine Title IX Advisor
Even the most organized school system isn't prepared to play investigator, judge, jury, executor, and appellate court for sexual misconduct. Higher education institutions are bound to make mistakes that can cost innocent people their livelihood, reputation, and even freedom.
If you are a professor at a college or university and have been accused of sexual misconduct in Maine, it's imperative you retain legal counsel. Experienced Title IX defense attorney Joseph D. Lento has helped professionals in your predicament achieve true justice in what's been labeled a “flawed system” by both survivors and respondents. Contact the Lento Law Firm online or by phone at 888-535-3686.
Maine colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as a college professor's Title IX advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Bates College
- Bowdoin College
- Central Maine Community College
- Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing and Health Professions
- Colby College
- College of the Atlantic
- Eastern Maine Community College
- Husson University
- Kaplan University Maine Campus
- Kennebec Valley Community College
- Landing School of Boat Building and Design
- Maine College of Art
- Maine Maritime Academy
- New England School of Communications
- Northern Maine Community College
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Southern Maine Community College
- Thomas College
- Unity College
- University of Maine
- University of Maine at Augusta
- University of Maine at Farmington
- University of Maine at Fort Kent
- University of Maine at Machias
- University of Maine at Presque Isle
- University of New England
- University of Southern Maine
- Washington County Community College
- York County Community College
Title IX violations and Title IX charges can upend a college professor's career and life if not defended against properly and as early as possible during the disciplinary process, and Joseph D. Lento has more than a decade of experience passionately fighting for the future of his clients 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 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 advisor to college professors facing disciplinary cases in Maine and throughout the nation. Make certain your interests are protected - Contact National Title IX attorney Joseph D. Lento today.