You Have the Right to a Legal Defense!
Title IX, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in an educational setting. This law affects public and private elementary schools, secondary schools, school districts, colleges, and universities that receive any type of federal funds. Schools have certain responsibilities when a case of sexual harassment or sexual violence is reported. These responsibilities include:
If a school knows or reasonably should know about an occurrence of sexual harassment or sexual violence, immediate action must be taken to eliminate the harassment and prevent it from occurring again.
Schools are obligated to investigate a claim of sexual harassment or violence on behalf of the student, even in cases where the student and/or his or her parents do not file a complaint or do not request or desire the school to take action on behalf of the student.
A criminal investigation by the authorities does not relieve the school from conducting its own investigation under Title IX.
As a part of the investigation process, every school is required to have a Title IX Coordinator. This is an individual to whom Title IX violations are to be reported. The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the particular school’s compliance with Title IX regulations.
A Title IX Coordinator is also responsible for overseeing the investigation of an alleged Title IX violation.
If you are accused of a Title IX offense, you have the right to a defense.
Attorneys Maura B. Mundy of the Dethlefs-Pykosh Law Group and Vincent Champion of the Champion Law Office are experienced in defending individuals accused of Title IX violations.