The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a preparatory program for college and university students in Washington and across the country to become officers in the U.S. military. In exchange for a post-college career and a paid college education, cadets in the ROTC commit to serving in the military after graduation. The ROTC is an attractive option for those who seek job security, as it draws tens of thousands of students each academic year.
If you are a student who plans to start a career in the military, joining the ROTC is a big step in the right direction. But to join you'll have to prove that you're able to keep a clean academic and disciplinary record. The armed forces values integrity and morale. In an industry where qualities like discipline are of the highest regard, nothing can ruin your military career faster than a responsible determination for sexual misconduct.
The military is already under fire for surging rates of sexual violence. Within the last two years, there were 20,500 instances of “unwanted sexual contact,” based on a survey of men and women across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. In response to the report, recruiters and higher-ups have become especially adamant about rejecting people who have a history of perpetuating inappropriate sexual behavior in any capacity.
Yes, the military's stance on sexual violence is rigid, but all is not lost. ROTC students facing allegations of this nature and truly believe they're innocent have options to undergo a fair process through a law named “Title IX.”
Defining Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments is a federal civil rights law that addresses gender-based discrimination against students attending U.S. colleges and universities. According to federal guidelines, Washington higher education institutions are obligated to adjudicate cases that entail gender discrimination.
Sexual misconduct, in all of its variations, falls under the umbrella of gender discrimination, and therefore, warrants an investigation, a determination of responsibility, and (if applicable) the imposition of sanctions, like disenrollment from the ROTC, and suspension/expulsion from the institution.
Some violations of Title IX include:
- Sexual harassment: unwelcome and inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances.
- Sexual violence: the act of forcing or manipulating someone into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Some forms of sexual violence include rape and sexual assault.
- Gender-based harassment: this type of behavior includes slurs, negative stereotyping, and any hurtful remark made based on another person's gender.
The Disenrollment Process
ROTC students who are found responsible for a violation of Title IX will be barred or "disenrolled" from the occupancy of a commissioned officer. Each branch of the military has unique regulations concerning their process of disenrollment.
Why You Need a Student Defense Attorney
While the Lento Law Firm wholeheartedly believes that sexual misconduct is unacceptable in any all circumstances, we also believe that ROTC respondents (also known as accused students) are entitled to civil rights and due process. One of Title IX's many functions is to promote equity in school processes. It is the duty of an experienced attorney to ensure that each party's rights are honored and that the process is fair.
Title IX allegations are typically addressed in a hearing. The majority of institutions allow parties to select an advisor that can aid them in their school's process. By seeking legal counsel as your advisor, you're likely to be prepared for the moments in the process that matter most - your statements, questioning, the collection of evidence etc.
Many people are under the impression that higher education institutions are always fair and equitable institutions. But in reality, sometimes schools don't play by their own rules. In a swing of the pendulum, institutions that were once lax and arguably apathetic in their approach to adjudication are now aggressively pursuing complaints - all due to the Department of Education's letter that subtly threatened to strip funding in schools who ignored victims. Consequently, the repercussions for the falsely accused are incredibly damaging. This is why a student defense attorney who has the experience to oversee the entire process and prevent discrepancies is useful.
Washington Title IX Advisor Defends Disenrollment Actions for ROTC Students
Even the most competent school system is not designed to play investigator, judge, jury, executor and appellate court for sexual misconduct. Higher education institutions are bound to make mistakes that can cost innocent people their livelihood, reputation, and even freedom.
If you're an ROTC student at a Washington college or university and have been accused of sexual misconduct, it's imperative you retain legal counsel. Experienced Title IX defense attorney Joseph D. Lento has helped professionals in your predicament achieve true justice in what's been labeled a “flawed system” by both survivors and respondents. Contact the Lento Law Firm online or by phone at 888-535-3686.
Washington colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your ROTC student's Title IX advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools (schools in bold have Army, Navy, and/or Air Force ROTC programs or are affiliated with schools where students can take ROTC classes):
- Antioch University Seattle
- Argosy University Seattle
- Bates Technical College
- Bellevue College
- Bellingham Technical College
- Big Bend Community College
- Cascadia Community College
- Central Washington University
- Centralia College
- City University of Seattle
- Clark College
- Clover Park Technical College
- Columbia Basin College
- Cornish College of the Arts
- DeVry University Washington
- DigiPen Institute of Technology
- Eastern Washington University
- Edmonds Community College
- Everest College Bremerton
- Everest College Everett
- Everest College Tacoma
- Everest College Vancouver
- Everett Community College
- Faith Evangelical College & Seminary
- Gonzaga University
- Grays Harbor College
- Green River Community College
- Heritage University
- Highline Community College
- International Academy of Design and Technology Seattle
- ITT Technical Institute Everett
- ITT Technical Institute Seattle
- ITT Technical Institute Spokane Valley
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology
- Lower Columbia College
- Northwest Aviation College
- Northwest College of Art
- Northwest Indian College
- Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building
- Northwest University
- Olympic College
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Peninsula College
- Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom
- Pierce College at Puyallup
- Renton Technical College
- Saint Martin's University
- Seattle Community College Central Campus
- Seattle Community College North Campus
- Seattle Community College South Campus
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- Shoreline Community College
- Skagit Valley College
- South Puget Sound Community College
- Spokane Community College
- Spokane Falls Community College
- Tacoma Community College
- The Art Institute of Seattle
- The Evergreen State College
- Trinity Lutheran College
- University of Phoenix Western Washington Campus
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Washington Bothell Campus
- University of Washington Seattle Campus
- University of Washington Tacoma Campus
- Walla Walla Community College
- Walla Walla University
- Washington State University
- Wenatchee Valley College
- Western Washington University
- Whatcom Community College
- Whitman College
- Whitworth University
- Yakima Valley Community College
All students must be extremely mindful when accused of sexual misconduct at their college or university; ROTC students in particular, however, can have even more concerns at all stage of Title IX proceedings because the stakes are higher yet – When first contacted by their school's Title IX office, when a sexual misconduct investigation begins, when facing a hearing or an appeal, or when seeking further recourse by filing a Title IX complaint with the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights when necessary. For ROTC students who are facing a Title IX case and their families, it is critical to take the necessary precautions as soon as possible, including having an experienced attorney advisor, when accused of sexual misconduct. Unfortunately, some students, not being as familiar what is at stake and also their rights in the process, will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," everything will work out. Title IX cases can be won, but students and their families must recognize, however, that achieving a favorable in a Title IX case requires a dedicated and intensive approach best handled by a professional who has a track record of successes in the Title IX disciplinary arena.
Fighting passionately for the future of students at colleges and universities throughout the nation for over a decade, Joseph D. Lento knows how important it is to mount the strongest defense because he understands that an ROTC student's academic future and future commission and military career is at stake. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as a Title IX advisor to students facing sexual misconduct investigations, disenrollment proceedings,and disciplinary cases in Washington and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Title IX attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
