I have advised clients in Title IX sexual misconduct cases in colleges and universities across the country.  Policies vary greatly in different institutions and my breadth of experience makes a difference.  Title IX cases are handled quickly and it is crucial to hold the institutions to their own rules.  Some of the best results I have obtained for my clients had nothing to do with the substance of the accusations against them, but instead resulted from procedural objections.

The biggest mistake my clients make is failing to appreciate how serious a Title IX accusation is.  A finding that you are responsible for sexual misconduct can effectively end your academic career and can permanently stain your college transcript, rendering you ineligible for professional licensure, public service or even private employment.  Students who are expelled from their colleges or universities are frequently refused admission elsewhere and effectively forfeit thousands of dollars and years of their lives.

Despite the serious nature of the accusations and the disastrous effect of a finding of responsibility for sexual misconduct, the investigation of Title IX cases in most institutions is biased and flawed.  The growing adoption of trauma-informed investigation techniques has led to the practice of blind acceptance of complaints and to hearings in which the complainant is never challenged or even confronted.  Most institutions forbid legal representation at Title IX hearings, and so in most of my Title IX cases, even though I am a licensed and experienced attorney, I do not act as one in my role as a Title IX advisor.

In a typical Title IX case the investigation is rushed and biased and is skewed against the accused from the beginning.  The accused is given no substantial assistance while the complainant is showered with attention and special treatment.  The accused is given little or sometime no right to discovery, no right to call or question witnesses, no right to an attorney and no right to confront his or her accuser.

If you have been accused of sexual misconduct by your institution, don't make the mistake of waiting.  Call me NOW.