Don't Let Emotions Take Control
A Title IX charge against your high school student can be an alarming and confusing event for both you and your student. A Title IX charge can be so upsetting that your student doesn't think clearly. Because of the emotion and fear that a Title IX charge can generate, your student may also do uncharacteristically irrational things in response to the charge. Your student might, for instance, admit to misconduct that your student did not commit, cover up facts that your student mistakenly thinks might be incriminating, or threaten classmates whom your student believes may be lying in asserting false allegations. Emotional, irrational, and uncharacteristic responses are not surprising, given the upset of a Title IX charge and the emotional immaturity of some high school students. But reacting emotionally can compromise a valid Title IX defense.
Don't Assume You Can Handle It Yourself
If your high school student faces Title IX charges, don't let your student's emotions or your own emotions as a parent get the better of the situation, making the situation worse. Instead, retain a skilled and experienced Title IX defense attorney before you or your student does anything that might compromise and lose valid defenses. There are right ways and wrong ways to respond to a high school Title IX charge. You and your student, as wise and experienced as you both may be, probably lack the experience in high school Title IX misconduct proceedings to know the right way to respond. You and your student also lack the objective distance from the highly personal and emotional matter that you'd need to evaluate and effectively advocate valid defenses.
Get Expert Title IX Defense Attorney Help
The single most important and helpful thing that you and your student can immediately do in proper response to high school Title IX charges is to retain a skilled, experienced, and expert Title IX defense attorney. Self-representation or parent representation won't do for the special skills that academic administrative Title IX defense requires. Title IX law, regulations, and procedures are complex and technical. High school rules, customs, and practices add to the confusing mix. An experienced Title IX defense attorney knows the law and procedures and knows the customs and practices. More than that, a skilled Title IX defense attorney knows how to put them all to your student's best defense.
Before you and your student proceed, retain national Title IX defense attorney Joseph D. Lento and the expert team at the Lento Law Firm to represent you. You and your student probably have quite a bit of learning to successfully navigate this very important matter. Let Attorney Lento and his expert Title IX defense team educate you and represent your student. You and your student won't regret it. Call 888.535.3686 or contact Attorney Lento online now.
Hold Your Peace
Hiring an experienced Title IX defense attorney is your best move. But you and your student should also be prepared to take your retained defense attorney's counsel and rely on your attorney's representation while holding your peace. Your temptation and your student's temptation may be to speak to anyone and everyone, telling everything that you think might help. Widespread disclosures are not the right approach. In fact, the better counsel is that anything that you and your student say can and will be used against your student. Miranda rights don't apply in Title IX proceedings, but Miranda principles apply. Your student's high school officials are not your student's friends and advocates in a Title IX matter. They are instead more like your student's adversaries, responsible first and foremost to the school and any victim of the alleged misconduct. Hold your peace.
Cooperate with and Support Your Defense Attorney
You and your student, though, have more to do than relying on your defense attorney while holding your peace. You and your student need to cooperate with your defense attorney. Cooperation begins with full, complete, and honest disclosure to your defense attorney of all circumstances relating to the high school's Title IX charge. Your defense attorney cannot help you unless your defense attorney knows the full truth.
Your defense attorney may then ask that you take certain actions to investigate the charges. Those actions may include that you and your student identify students or other witnesses who have or may have relevant information. Your defense attorney may need to list and contact those witnesses to learn their information, which may either incriminate or exonerate your student or prove circumstances mitigating any violation.
Your defense attorney may also ask you and your student to collect, preserve, and share with your defense attorney relevant documentation such as texts, emails, photographs, video, school assignments, tests, and papers, school transcripts, medical records, and other papers, things, and electronically stored information. Title IX cases, including the defense of Title IX charges, proceed on evidence. You and your student may play a critical role in collecting and preserving evidence. Rely on your defense attorney to instruct you, but don't destroy any such evidence.
Above all, stay engaged and in touch. Promptly answer all telephone calls, emails, correspondence, or other inquiries from your defense attorney. Appear, prepared and engaged, at any meetings, mediation or settlement conferences, hearings, or other events that your defense attorney requests. Promptly do as your defense attorney recommends, requests, or instructs. You, your student, and your retained Title IX defense attorney should be a close and trusting team. That's how you win a Title IX defense.
Premier Title IX Defense Attorney Available
Locating a premier Title IX high school defense attorney shouldn't be your problem. National Title IX defense attorney Joseph D. Lento and the expert team at the Lento Law Firm are available to represent your high school student anywhere in the United States. Attorney Lento and his expert Title IX defense team have helped hundreds of high school and other students nationwide with successful Title IX defense. You can and should trust Attorney Lento who has committed his law practice and law firm to student misconduct defense. Attorney Lento knows the value of your high school student's reputation and future. You should know that value, too. Call 888.535.3686 or contact Attorney Lento online now.
