If you're a Texas Tech student, you know that your school takes the health and safety of each student very seriously. To accomplish this, your school has rolled out easy reporting processes. Your school has invested in its safety response team. Your school has a dedicated Title IX coordinator who oversees every instance of sexual misconduct on campus.
Unfortunately, this environment can also be conducive to misunderstandings, false allegations, and quick Title IX or sexual misconduct disciplinary hearings that result in unfair consequences. If Texas Tech is investigating you for sexual misconduct, you need to get informed, fast. You need to take action to make sure your reputation, your education, and your future remain safe.
Here's what you need to know.
What is Title IX?
Title IX is a federal rights law. It prohibits any type of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, or sex. Title IX ensures that any school that receives federal funding must investigate all allegations of sexual misconduct in a timely manner or risk losing that funding.
As the types of discrimination (and other types of misconduct) that Title IX covers are extremely hot-button issues, Title IX's interpretation tends to change on a regular basis. To ensure that their students remain safe regardless of changes in direction, many schools have decided to implement multiple Title IX or sexual misconduct policies. Texas Tech is one of those schools. According to the Policies and Procedures part of Texas Tech's website, your school has a University Title IX Procedures for Students policy as well as a more generalized System Regulation that covers sexual misconduct.
Whether Texas Tech adjudicates your misconduct under one policy or the other, your general experience will likely be the same.
How does Texas Tech interpret Title IX?
Texas Tech University's student code of conduct goes into great detail regarding the specific actions that a student cannot complete without earning punitive measures. Broadly speaking, any discriminatory, violent, or sexual activity that one student performs with or concerning another that occurs without the consent of all parties concerned is likely prohibited.
Examples of these types of actions include:
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Misconduct (including rape, incest, coercion, lewd communications, sharing or sending personal materials without the consent of all concerned, and providing the means for incapacitation in order to engage in sexual activity without consent)
- Interpersonal Violence
- Stalking
- Discrimination
This is not a complete list. Once a complainant—or the victim of an alleged instance of sexual misconduct—brings an event to the attention of the administration at Texas Tech or the Texas Tech Title IX Coordinator, the university will go through its grievance process to learn more and see what disciplinary repercussions a student's actions may merit.
What happens after an allegation of sexual misconduct at Texas Tech University?
Texas Tech University's formal grievance process for investigating these types of cases includes the following chain of events:
- A complainant will initiate the school's formal grievance process by filing a formal complaint.
- An investigator from the university's administration will meet with the complainant. Together, they'll discuss what happened. The administrative investigator will come to a determination regarding what has likely happened.
- The investigator will work with the administration to send a formal notice to both the complainant and the respondent.
- All parties involved will have the opportunity to provide materials to the investigating team. These materials may include statements, any evidence, and witness lists.
- The investigator will conduct an investigation and compile a report.
- The investigating team will send this report to all concerned parties.
- At the hearing that follows, a university committee will go through the report to determine responsibility for what has happened and to provide any necessary recommendations for sanctions.
Students will have the opportunity to have an advisor help them with their overall strategy, as well as any documents required and assistance when preparing for hearings. Texas Tech may offer you the opportunity to work with a school advisor. However, you should turn down this generous-seeming offer.
A school advisor will not have the detailed, dedicated, and targeted experience you need in order to help you avoid disproportionate charges for your alleged misdeeds. In addition, when push comes to shove, your school's advisors will always be loyal first to your school.
When it comes to protecting your future, you need the best professional in the business at your side. You need a smart, skilled, and experienced sexual misconduct lawyer to help you go through your school's policies and come up with a solid, aggressive defense.
That's exactly where we come in.
Joseph D. Lento is the Top-Tier Student Defense Attorney You Need
While the various punitive measures that Texas Tech has in place for wayward students can seem like they're steep enough, the true repercussions of collegiate sexual misconduct can last for the rest of your life. Your reputation is priceless, and this type of disciplinary action may tarnish it. Unfortunately, regardless of the veracity of your allegations, if Texas Tech places a disciplinary note mentioning sexual misconduct in your permanent file, that information could close lots of doors for you in your future.
At the Lento Law Firm, we don't want to see that happen. We want you to have all of the opportunities that you've worked hard to achieve. Joseph D. Lento can help guide you through your school's confusing disciplinary processes towards a successful outcome that protects your future. For years, he has helped students across the nation with their school's adjudicative and investigative procedures. He can do the same for you.
Simply give our office a call, and we'll set up a consultation so you can learn more about how we can help you. The number is 888-535-3686, or contact us online today.
