If you're a student at a college or university in Indiana and you're facing a Title IX hearing, many steps have to be taken well in advance of the hearing. Prior to the hearing itself, the school will prepare an investigation report. Prior to it being finalized, all necessary documentation, information and evidence would need to be included in that investigation report to make the case as strong as possible. It may have to include text messages between the parties, social media posts, witness statements, a toxicology report, a forensic evaluation.
That final investigation report will be presented to the panel prior to the hearing taking place, so the panel itself will have a strong sense of the case prior to the hearing even taking place. For the hearing itself, an opening and closing statement would need to be prepared. Questions would need to prepare for all witnesses, the accuser, the accuser's witnesses, the accused, the accused witnesses, potential expert witnesses. The hearing panel would have to be considered for possible bias or conflict. Many steps have to be taken to ensure a fair and favorable outcome at a Title IX hearing.
