Title IX is legislation first introduced in 1972. While it was originally meant to prevent discrimination, uneven enforcement has meant that, in far too many cases, the Title IX process promotes discrimination against the student accused of wrongdoing.
Several students have had their rights violated so egregiously during the Title IX process that they filed lawsuits in response. The University of Michigan, Purdue University, the University of Cincinnati, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are among the schools accused of violating students' right to due process during Title IX proceedings.
Whether you attend Syracuse University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), Le Moyne College, or any other school in the Syracuse area, take the Title IX process into your own hands. Allow the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team to proactively seek the best possible resolution to a defining period in your life.
Our firm prioritizes student defense. This prioritization has earned us many years of experience, a deep understanding of Title IX laws and procedures, and a priceless value to the students we serve. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to find out how we will advise you, accompany you through the important proceedings ahead, and be ready for whatever your case presents us with.
When and Why Does the Title IX Process Start?
The Title IX process begins when your school's Title IX Office (or any other office designated to handle this process) receives a complaint. Complaints that typically fall within the scope of Title IX regulations are:
- Sexual misconduct, which can include sexual assault, improper quid pro quo arrangements, unwanted touching, sharing graphic images without someone's consent, sexual harassment, and certain other offenses
- Discrimination
- Bullying
- Hazing
- Physical mistreatment of a romantic partner
- Retaliation against someone who files a Title IX complaint
- Stalking
There are cases in which even a comment, perhaps including a joke of a sexual nature that someone believes crosses a line, can prompt a Title IX complaint. Such a complaint could lead to severe consequences for a student who meant no harm when they made the statement.
Any Title IX complaint can mushroom into something devastating for the student accused of wrongdoing. The worst mistake you can make is to dismiss the Title IX process as trivial. Even if you know you have done nothing wrong, or you consider an “offense” to be extremely minor, those who oversee your Title IX proceedings may feel differently.
Protect yourself right now by hiring the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team to advise and advocate for you.
Let Us Guide You Through the High-Stakes Title IX Process. The Path Ahead May Be Fast-Unfolding and Complicated, and We Will Take Control of It.
You might not have any frame of reference for what to expect. Most students involved in the Title IX process are in uncharted waters, and our experience may prove immeasurably beneficial for you. For starters, know that the Title IX process:
- Can vary immensely from one school to the next
- May even vary immensely from one case to the next—that is, one school like Syracuse University might handle two similar Title IX complaints in vastly different ways
- Often involves deadlines
Being passive is perhaps a massive mistake when faced with Title IX proceedings. This is a time to take control of your fate, but you can only take control if you understand the Title IX process. This is where the Lento Law Firm brings you value, as our Student Defense Team will:
- Become familiar with your school's Title IX policies and explain the next steps to you
- Explain how we are going to help you
- Explain, in simple terms, what you should do to help your defense
- Warn you about mistakes that could jeopardize your case outcome
- Answer every question you have
- Address any concerns you have
- Refer you to any resources that could benefit you, as the Title IX process can be immensely stressful for those who are in its crosshairs
We are compassionate. We are capable. We are experienced. These are the criteria you should look for in your attorney, and they are characteristics you will find at the Lento Law Firm.
What Steps Does the Title IX Process Entail?
Syracuse University lays out a detailed overview of how its Title IX Office handles complaints (starting on p.19) against students. When Syracuse's Title IX Coordinator receives a complaint of Prohibited Conduct, the next steps are:
- A preliminary inquiry into the complaint: The Title IX Coordinator must determine if the initial complaint meets the criteria for filing a Formal Complaint.
- Filing of a Formal Complaint: University literature notes that when a complainant does not want to pursue a Formal Complaint, the school tries to accommodate their request. However, if the complainant has no issue filing a Formal Complaint (or actively lobbies for it), the university may proceed with the formal resolution process.
- Investigation of the complaint: The formal resolution process starts with an investigation. The Title IX Coordinator assigns an investigator, who must then secure and consider all relevant evidence. Importantly, the investigator must weigh evidence, witness testimony, and other information regardless of whether it benefits the complainant or respondent.
- Submission of a written investigative report: Both the complainant and the respondent will have the opportunity to evaluate the information used by the investigator. Those parties can provide a written submission to the investigator—a request to speak with another witness, for example. Once the investigator has considered these written submissions, they will complete their written report. Syracuse University aims to complete these investigations within 90 days.
- Notice of Charge: If the Title IX Coordinator and those they consult with determine that proceeding further is necessary, they will issue a Notice of Charge to the complainant and respondent. This Notice will detail the facts as they stand and will notify parties of a Hearing date. If the respondent accepts responsibility for the allegations against them, the Office of Community Standards (OCS) will determine sanctions.
- A hearing: The complainant and respondent will receive notice of the hearing at least ten days before it takes place. At Syracuse, Title IX hearings are usually conducted virtually, which can present unique challenges. A hearing panel or individual hearing officer will conduct the hearing, which may involve questioning witnesses and the presentation of evidence.
- The hearing panel or officer issues a decision: These parties will typically issue their decision and explain the rationale behind their decision, within 15 days of the hearing. The Director of OCS is then responsible for issuing sanctions based on the hearing panel's or officer's finding of responsibility.
- All necessary appeals occur: Syracuse University allows either the complainant or respondent to appeal a Title IX decision on grounds of procedural error, the emergence of new evidence, and a few other reasons.
If you do not attend Syracuse University, your school has its own Title IX policies. As dynamic, fast-moving attorneys, we quickly learn our clients ' schools' Title IX policies, and sometimes we are already familiar with those policies. Even in such cases, we review policies because they are subject to change.
No two Title IX proceedings are identical. Some variables that can affect how your Title IX case unfolds are:
- The Title IX Coordinator at your school (and their personality, ethical code, and perception of you and the complainant)
- The individuals who serve on hearing panels and other bodies involved in your Title IX process
- The types of evidence that are (or are not) available
- The credibility and testimony of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses who participate in your Title IX process
- Whether you or the complainant is willing to seek an informal resolution
- How the hearing panel rules (which can determine whether you need to file an appeal)
The Title IX process is a complex flowchart. No matter your case's path, we will fight for your best interests—and the best possible outcome—at every turn. To the extent that we can, we affect the Title IX process in your favor through compelling evidence, favorable witness testimony, convincing arguments, strategic negotiations, and the many other tools in our repertoire.
What Sanctions Can a Syracuse-Area School Impose Through Title IX?
Some of the sanctions that you might face via the Title IX process, in order of perceived severity, are:
- A formal reprimand with no further sanctions
- Community service
- Corrective courses
- Behavioral probation
- Removal and/or exclusion from student organizations
- Removal from student housing
- No-contact orders
- Loss of financial aid or scholarships
- Suspension
- Expulsion
Every student deserves a fair shake. You are entitled to due process, whether you have a prior disciplinary history or a sterling record. Even a seemingly minor reprimand can have monumental negative effects, and we must urge you strongly to allow our team to fight for the outcome you deserve.
Sanctions May Cause a Life-Changing Domino Effect. Here's What Could Be at Stake.
Students do not always take the long-term view, so let us provide some perspective. If Title IX sanctions blemish your record, it's possible that:
- You may have to change schools, whether because you are expelled, you have to leave student housing without a viable residential alternative, you lose essential financial aid, or because you no longer trust the school's leaders
- You may take on immediate financial burdens, which may include tuition previously covered by scholarships, lost compensation if you lose a job, housing costs, relocation costs, and costs associated with changing schools
- Your standing at your university may be permanently diminished, which may preclude you from leadership positions, internships, mentorships, and other opportunities you might have otherwise had access to
- Professional opportunities will evaporate, as prospective employers do not typically view any kind of sanction in a positive light, and may choose not to extend you job offers because of concerns about your character or reliability
- The trajectory of your life changes (to a potentially significant degree), as Title IX sanctions can cause a substantial downward domino effect
We care about students on a human level. For this reason, we must also note that sanctions issued by your school can be devastating psychologically and emotionally. You may feel judged and wronged by an institution you trust. Furthermore, the negative effects that sanctions have could contribute to depression, anxiety, financial insecurity, and other serious afflictions.
We feel a deep sense of obligation to help students avoid these devastating outcomes. The Lento Law Firm is confident that we can help you if you let us.
Let Us Present the Compelling Defense Every Student Needs
We will provide the exact approach you need from us, as each student and case we handle is different. That said, some of the ways we often help students include:
- Securing evidence that benefits your defense (the same evidence may poke holes in the allegations against you)
- Interviewing any witnesses whose testimony supports your defense, and arranging for them to testify during your hearing
- Seeking an informal resolution, if doing so makes sense
- Attending all case-related meetings with you, including any hearing
We will also advise you, answer your questions, and protect your rights throughout the Title IX process. The Lento Law Firm is not a fly-by-night firm that just happens to help students. Student Defense is what we do, and our dedication to this niche bears fruit for the students we represent.
Call the Lento Law Firm Today to Discuss How Our Student Defense Team Will Guide You Through the Title IX Process
For most students, the Title IX process is unfamiliar, impossible to predict, and rife with hazards. Our advocacy will be priceless, as we understand Title IX regulations and procedures on a level that few others do.
Do not wait to speak with us, as multiple deadlines may be looming. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to find out how we will fight for you or your student.
