Employees at universities and colleges in Nevada may work with or around students daily. This proximity can, in some cases, lead to misunderstandings and even baseless allegations of wrongdoing against employees like you. An allegation of sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination against you may constitute a Title IX violation.
Everyone who faces an alleged Title IX violation needs a strong defense. The team at the Lento Law Firm will focus on the details of your case once we become your Title IX advisor. For now, your priority should be to retain an advisor who knows Title IX law, understands your rights, and will stand firm on your behalf.
How Title IX Affects College Employees in Nevada
You need only be accused of a Title IX violation to find out how destructive this amendment can be to a college employee's life. Even if you've done nothing to warrant the allegation against you, the enforcement of Title IX can rob you of what you've worked hard to achieve.
Title IX, also known as the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, applies to most employees of publicly funded colleges and universities in Nevada.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) explains that Title IX laws name “employees” among those bound by Title IX policies. These policies prohibit employees of colleges and universities in Nevada (and throughout the U.S.) from:
- Engaging in sex- or gender-based discrimination
- Implementing different rules or incentives for students of the opposite sex or gender
- Withholding benefits, opportunities, or financial aid because of someone's sex or gender
- Engaging in behavior that qualifies as sexual harassment or misconduct
The last bullet point refers to one of the most serious tenets of Title IX. While any Title IX allegation carries great weight, allegations of sexual misconduct can be especially damaging.
Here is the key takeaway: Whether you're a professor, administrator, coach, or other class of college employee in Nevada, Title IX does have the capacity to redirect your life as you know it—for most, this change is not for the better.
Am I Subject to Title IX Rules and Protocols?
Some specific employees to whom Title IX generally applies are:
- Professors
- Teaching assistants
- Administrators
- Admissions board members
- Counselors
- Coaches and trainers
- Employees in IT, health, or other specific service departments of a college or university
If you qualify as an employee at a college or university in Nevada, then the odds are that you're subject to the rules and procedures spelled out by Title IX. The Lento Law Firm team will review your case, determining without a doubt whether your case qualifies as a Title IX-specific matter.
You may have already received notice that you're the subject of an alleged Title IX violation. This alone may answer the question of whether you fall under the jurisdiction of Title IX statutes and protocols.
I've Been Accused of a Title IX Violation as a College Employee in Nevada. What Happens Next?
You are not the first college employee to face a potentially life-defining allegation that falls under the purview of Title IX. Whether allegations against you are sexual in nature or not, your sole focus should be on protecting your rights and forming a comprehensive defense.
A Title IX advisor can inform you of the specific Title IX protocols that your university follows, as procedures are not always the same from one college to the next. Even accounting for procedural differences, those accused of a Title IX violation in Nevada can generally expect:
- A Title IX Coordinator to decide if they will face a formal investigation: Title IX requires each Nevada college to employ a Title IX Coordinator who oversees complaints that fall under the scope of Title IX. This Coordinator may determine whether your own case proceeds toward a formal investigation. Because schools may face significant liability if they don't investigate a Title IX complaint, you may generally expect an investigation to occur.
- To face an investigation: The individual investigating the Title IX allegation against you may ask you questions, present you with evidence, and work to gain a comprehensive understanding of your case. At the end of their investigation, the investigator will provide a report of their findings.
- To participate in a hearing: Hearings are fairly commonplace in Title IX cases, and you'll want to use this opportunity—along with your advisor—to defend yourself.
The committee that oversees your hearing will issue a ruling. If the committee dismisses your case and finds you “not responsible,” then it may signal the end of your Title IX scare. If the committee finds you responsible and issues formal sanctions, there will be more work to do.
Your attorney can lead the Title IX appeals process on your behalf. They may also take further legal action if your appeal is unsuccessful.
Consequences of Failing to Defend Yourself From a Title IX Allegation in Nevada
Being found responsible for a Title IX violation can have devastating consequences, including:
- Immediate separation from your university and loss of income, retirement benefits, pension, healthcare, and any other benefits you derive from your current job
- Difficulty gaining future employment, as you may have to explain your sudden departure from your current university to prospective employers
- Lost quality of life, as the financial, psychological, and emotional strain of your Title IX ordeal may take a great toll on you
- Loss of reputation, as word of the Title IX allegations against you may reach family, friends, and acquaintances
You only have one reputation. Now is the time to defend it and to try and spare yourself and your loved ones from the damage that a Title IX allegation can inflict.
Hire the Lento Law Firm, a Team That Prioritizes College Employee Defense
The Lento Law Firm knows that all too often, college employees faced with Title IX allegations assume they'll face a fair adjudication process. In reality, the deck can be stacked against those accused of Title IX violations, and the most recent developments indicate that collegiate due process may be under fire.
Advisor Joseph D. Lento will work with your college in Nevada—just as he's negotiated positive outcomes with countless other universities from coast to coast. If our firm doesn't reach an acceptable resolution with your school, we'll exhaust all other avenues as we work to clear your name.
Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to discuss your case. You may also provide your case details online.
