Do you need a Title IX lawyer?
Title IX allegations are serious. This is even more true when those allegations involve claims of sexual assault, stalking, inappropriate touching, or sexual harassment. Adding to the challenge facing an accused student are the often-present gender bias and lack of constitutional protections afforded to defendants in other types of prosecutions, such as state or federal criminal cases.
But if this is your first experience with a Title IX violation, how do you know if you should hire a lawyer or not? While no lawyer can guarantee a specific result in a client’s case, all will agree that a student should not try to handle their Title IX sexual misconduct claim alone. You need professional help from a team familiar with the process, investigative techniques, and defense strategies that can prove your innocence.
Below are several important ways that an experienced Title IX attorney can help you win your case and move past this difficult time.
- Take some of the heavy emotional burden off of you and your family. While all the stress and anxiety will not pass until your case has resolved, having a lawyer on your side will provide valuable peace of mind that you are doing everything possible to defeat the accuser’s claim and move on your education.
- Give an initial assessment of your case. An experienced school misconduct attorney will have seen cases like yours in the past and can review the specifics of your situation and provide opinions on the chances of success, potential challenges and favorable facts, and worst-case scenarios.
- Review your school’s Title IX process and procedures, ensure they are fair, and make certain those involved in the process – investigators, Title IX Coordinator, hearing officers, and sanctioning board – follow the protocols.
- Conduct an independent investigation that often uncovers exculpatory information such as a motive to fabricate, contradictory statements, and hard evidence of a false or mistaken accusation. (e.g. text or voice messages, video footage, or witness observations)
- Negotiate a settlement with the schools’ legal counsel. This isn’t always possible, but a good lawyer will evaluate and pursue this option if available.
- Map-out a complete and compelling defense strategy, one that takes into account the unexpected.
- Prepare you for interviews and the hearing to ensure you only provide information that is helpful to your case.
- Attend the hearing to ensure you are treated fairly, get information that helps you into the record, and preserve information that may be critically important in an appeal.
- Ensure you don’t say or do anything to jeopardize your rights in other cases such as a criminal prosecution in state or federal court or civil action.
If you or a loved one is facing charges of sexual misconduct at a college or university, contact the experienced attorneys at Capovilla & Williams today. We will discuss your case confidentially and free of charge so you understand all your options and can take the next best steps to securing a positive resolution. Our office number is 404-496-7674 or you can complete the contact form here.
