In April of 2024, the Department of Education approved New Title IX rules, which are scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2024. Our firm is closely monitoring ongoing challenges to these new rules in court, and is working hard to provide you the most up-to-date information. Click here to learn about the current state of Title IX and how we can help if you are facing accusations.
If you're a student at a college or university in Missouri and you're facing a Title IX hearing, it's necessary to take critical steps well in advance of the hearing. Prior to the hearing, the school will prepare an investigation report. Prior to being finalized, it needs to be responded to as strongly and as effectively as possible. All necessary documentation, information and evidence would have to be included in that final investigation report and may include text messages, social media posts, pictures, videos, witness statements, a toxicology report, a forensic evaluation, a polygraph examination.
Once finalized, the report goes to the panel and is reviewed in advance of the hearing so the hearing panel has a strong sense of the case before the hearing even takes place. At the hearing itself, attacking the the accuser's credibility is often key. So questions would have to be prepared with that in mind for the accuser, the accuser's witnesses, the accused and the accused's witnesses would also have to be prepared accordingly. An opening and closing statement would have to be prepared in advance of the hearing.
The hearing panel itself would have to be considered for any bias or potential conflict of interest. Many steps have to be taken at the hearing and in advance, and an attorney advisor can help maximize the prospect of success.
