College Sexual Misconduct Advisor - Ohio

Have You Been Accused of College Sexual Misconduct in Ohio?

If you or a loved one has been accused of college sexual misconduct, you may already be facing the proceedings at your university or college. These allegations can be very serious and have an impact on your future. It's essential to find an attorney-advisor who's successfully supported students in similar situations. Each school follows its own handbook guidelines, and you want someone who can help you navigate this troublesome circumstance. They'll understand “preponderance of evidence” and the procedures for the hearing. You want someone who can fight on and by your side.

Consequences of College Sexual Misconduct Allegations

You want to make sure to address college sexual misconduct allegations as soon as possible. If your Ohio school investigates the claims and chooses to take disciplinary action toward you, the result could range from a suspension to expulsion and everything in between. On their own, a suspension and expulsion are serious enough. However, the ramifications are even more severe. A suspension or expulsion on your permanent academic record could impact your ability to attend grad school, to receive internships, and even sometimes, to land a job.

If the suspension or expulsion occurs and you have financial aid awards of loans or grants, you might void the terms of your assistance by not being enrolled for enough time during the year. So on top of the academic impact, there is a potential financial impact. Although college sexual misconduct allegations might seem less severe under the more narrow scope of Title IX, they are not actually less severe.

What Do the New Title IX Guidelines Mean for College Sexual Misconduct Allegations?

Up until recently, most college sexual misconduct cases fell under the jurisdiction of the Title IX guidelines. With the Department of Education's May 2020 announcement of the new regulations, however, this jurisdiction changed. The Department of Education spent several years studying how to ensure that Title IX protected all students’ rights, and these new regulations are based on their findings. Some of the significant changes include narrowing the definition of sexual harassment so that “severe or pervasive” does not fall under Title IX, and occurrences off-campus are not qualified.

Although universities and colleges were required to implement the changes by August 14, 2020, many Ohio schools responded by adapting their own code of conduct or student handbook. Many of these changes extended the ability to pursue college sexual misconduct allegations with the same sort of severity. The only difference is that now they will be handled by the school's guidelines, rather than Federal guidance via Title IX.

For example, Ohio State updated their website to say: “A new sexual harassment definition, which has been added to adhere to the regulations. Ohio State has also maintained the prior version of sexual harassment, a non-Title IX definition, to meet the requirements of Title VII and the expectations of our campus community. Therefore, Ohio State has two definitions of sexual harassment, Title IX and non-Title IX. The Office of Institutional Equity will assist individuals in determining if reported behavior constitutes Title IX or non-Title IX sexual harassment.” Other Ohio schools, such as Case Western, the University of Dayton, and the University of Cincinnati, have made similar updates.

How an Advisor Can Help

An experienced attorney-advisor can help you understand the process at your particular college or university. They can advise you about how to best approach the case and will be there to help protect your rights and interests as a student. An attorney-advisor can also make recommendations about how to prepare for the hearing, and advise on any associated criminal charges.

How to Protect Yourself Against College Sexual Misconduct Allegations

If you've been accused of college sexual misconduct, there are several simple things that you can do to protect yourself and set yourself up for as much success with your case as possible—and some things not to do.

Find and consult with a college sexual misconduct advisor as soon as possible

As complicated as a college sexual misconduct allegation can be, you want to reach out to an attorney-advisor quickly. Often families will wait, hoping that the hearing is favorable. It is much easier to craft a strong defense from the beginning.

Look over your school's Code of Conduct or Student Handbook

Each school, especially as they update their policies, will have its own procedures and definitions codified into the student handbook or code of conduct. Reviewing and understanding this material will help you plan for the process. Your attorney-advisor will also be able to assist you with understanding this material.

Don't communicate with your accuser

You may want to reach out to the person who accused you. It's best not to do this, however. If you do communicate with that person, any communication the two of you have could be used as evidence in the investigation that the school holds. Don't text or email or call or send a carrier pigeon. No communication.

Don't discuss your situation with anyone at the school

During such a trying time, you want to turn to your community for support. In this instance, it's best to turn to people that are beyond your college or university. Don't answer questions from public safety or campus police. Don't discuss it with your friends, or with any faculty with whom you're friendly.

Document, document, document

Keep track of everything. There may be evidence that your attorney-advisor can use to help you. As you write things down, the two of you can look information over. An experienced attorney-advisor will understand (and advise) which information might strengthen your case and which might weaken it. Understanding this point allows you to best prepare for the disciplinary proceeding.

Choosing an experienced attorney-advisor for your Ohio College Sexual Misconduct Allegations

With a situation as serious as this, you want to make sure that you go in as prepared as possible. An experienced attorney-advisor can walk with you and fight on your behalf to preserve your college career. Joseph D. Lento has helped hundreds of students across the nation fight successfully against code of conduct cases and many years of experience fighting Title IX allegations.  If you are concerned about college sexual misconduct allegations in Ohio, reach out today. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or reach out to us online.

Ohio colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's college sexual misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:

• Allegheny Wesleyan College
• American Institute of Alternative Medicine
• Antonelli College Cincinnati
• Art Academy of Cincinnati
• Ashland University
• ATS Institute of Technology
• Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
• Baldwin Wallace College
• Beckfield College Tri County
• Belmont Technical College
• Bluffton University
• Bowling Green State University Firelands
• Bowling Green State University Main Campus
• Bradford School
• Brown Mackie College Akron
• Brown Mackie College Cincinnati
• Brown Mackie College Findlay
• Brown Mackie College North Canton
• Bryant & Stratton College Cleveland
• Bryant and Stratton College Eastlake
• Bryant and Stratton College Parma
• Capital University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Cedarville University
• Central Ohio Technical College
• Central State University
• Chamberlain College of Nursing Ohio
• Chancellor University
• Chatfield College
• Cincinnati Christian University
• Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
• Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
• Clark State Community College
• Cleveland Institute of Art
• Cleveland Institute of Music
• Cleveland State University
• College of Mount St. Joseph
• Columbus College of Art and Design
• Columbus State Community College
• Cuyahoga Community College District
• Davis College
• Daymar College Chillicothe
• Daymar College Jackson
• Daymar College Lancaster
• Daymar College New Boston
• Defiance College
• Denison University
• DeVry University Ohio
• Eastern Gateway Community College
• Edison State Community College
• ETI Technical College
• Fortis College Centeville
• Fortis College Cincinnati
• Fortis College Columbus
• Fortis College Cuyahoga Falls
• Fortis College Ravenna
• Franciscan University of Steubenville
• Franklin University
• Gallipolis Career College
• Gods Bible School and College
• Good Samaritan College of Nursing & Health Science
• Harrison College Grove City
• Heidelberg University
• Herzing University Akron Campus
• Herzing University Toledo
• Hiram College
• Hocking College
• Hondros College
• International College of Broadcasting
• ITT Technical Institute Akron
• ITT Technical Institute Columbus
• ITT Technical Institute Dayton
• ITT Technical Institute Hilliard
• ITT Technical Institute Maumee
• ITT Technical Institute Norwood
• ITT Technical Institute Strongsville
• ITT Technical Institute Warrensville Heights
• ITT Technical Institute Youngstown
• James A Rhodes State College
• John Carroll University
• Kent State University at Ashtabula
• Kent State University at East Liverpool
• Kent State University at Geauga
• Kent State University at Kent
• Kent State University at Salem
• Kent State University at Stark
• Kent State University at Trumbull
• Kent State University at Tuscarawas
• Kenyon College
• Kettering College of Medical Arts
• Lake Erie College
• Lakeland Community College
• Lincoln College of Technology Cleveland
• Lincoln College of Technology Columbus
• Lincoln College of Technology Dayton
• Lincoln College of Technology Franklin LCT
• Lincoln College of Technology Toledo
• Lincoln College of Technology Tri County
• Lincoln College of Technology Vine Street
• Lorain County Community College
• Lourdes University
• Malone University
• Marietta College
• Marion Technical College
• Mercy College of Ohio
• Miami University
• Miami University Hamilton
• Miami University Middletown
• Miami Jacobs Career College
• Miami Jacobs Career College Columbus
• Miami Jacobs Career College Dayton
• Miami Jacobs Career College Sharonville
• Miami Jacobs Career College Springboro
• Miami Jacobs Career College Troy
• Mount Carmel College of Nursing
• Mount Vernon Nazarene University
• Muskingum University
• National College Cincinnati
• National College Columbus
• National College Dayton
• National College Stow
• National College Willoughby Hills
• National College Youngstown
• North Central State College
• Northwest State Community College
• Notre Dame College
• Oberlin College
• Ohio Business College Columbus
• Ohio Business College Sandusky
• Ohio Business College Sheffield
• Ohio Christian University
• Ohio College of Massotherapy Inc
• Ohio Dominican University
• Ohio Mid Western College
• Ohio Northern University
• Ohio State University
• Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
• Ohio State University Lima Campus
• Ohio State University Mansfield Campus
• Ohio State University Marion Campus
• Ohio State University Newark Campus
• Ohio University Chillicothe Campus
• Ohio University Eastern Campus
• Ohio University Lancaster Campus
• Ohio University Main Campus
• Ohio University Southern Campus
• Ohio University Zanesville Campus
• Ohio Valley College of Technology
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Otterbein University
• Owens Community College
• Pontifical College Josephinum
• Professional Skills Institute
• Rabbinical College Telshe
• Remington College Cleveland Campus
• Remington College Cleveland West Campus
• Rosedale Bible College
• Sanford Brown College Middleburg Heights,
• School of Advertising Art Inc.
• Shawnee State University
• Sinclair Community College
• Southern State Community College
• Stark State College
• Stautzenberger College Brecksville
• Stautzenberger College Maumee
• Terra State Community College
• The Art Institute of Cincinnati
• The Art Institute of Ohio Cincinnati
• The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
• The College of Wooster
• The University of Findlay
• Tiffin University
• Tri State Bible College
• Trumbull Business College
• Union Institute & University
• University of Akron Main Campus
• University of Akron Wayne College
• University of Cincinnati Clermont College
• University of Cincinnati Main Campus
• University of Cincinnati Raymond Walters College
• University of Dayton
• University of Mount Union
• University of Northwestern Ohio
• University of Phoenix Cincinnati Campus
• University of Phoenix Cleveland Campus
• University of Phoenix Columbus Ohio Campus
• University of Rio Grande
• University of Toledo
• Urbana University
• Ursuline College
• Vatterott College Cleveland
• Virginia Marti College of Art and Design
• Walsh University
• Washington State Community College
• Wilberforce University
• Wilmington College
• Wittenberg University
• Wright State University Lake Campus
• Wright State University Main Campus
• Xavier University
• Youngstown State University
• Zane State College

It is critical to make certain the college sexual misconduct investigation at your Ohio school is handled properly and that the accused student's interests are protected from as early as possible during the sexual misconduct investigative process.  One major reason is because even at colleges and universities 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 college sexual misconduct 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 at college.  Some people will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," their college or university 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 cases would not exist.

Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at universities and colleges throughout the nation for many years, 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 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 college sexual misconduct advisor to students and others in academia facing sexual misconduct investigations and Title IX disciplinary cases in Ohio and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National College Sexual Misconduct Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686 or by completing our online form.