College Faculty representation

As a faculty member of a college or university that receives federal funding, you have the right to be free from sexual harassment and discrimination in your education program. Title IX to the Education Amendments of 1972 provides due process to respondents alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment or discrimination, and to complainants complaining of the same. Respondents are faculty members accused of engaging in sexual harassment or sex-based discrimination. Complainants are students or faculty members who’ve complained that they have been subjected to sexual harassment or sex-based discrimination. If a respondent is found responsible for violating Title IX, they can face discipline up to and including termination.

If you have been notified by your college or university that you are a respondent in a Title IX investigation, you have the right to an advisor, which may or may not be an attorney. Your advisor may be present at all investigative stages, advise you through your investigative interview, help you review the evidence obtained, advise you through your response to the evidence, cross-examine witnesses in a hearing, and advise you through an appeal if necessary. We highly recommend that your advisor be an attorney well-versed in Title IX representation, as a competent Title IX attorney will not only provide you with crucial advice through the Title IX process, but will also help you evaluate and identify possible grounds for a lawsuit against the college or university where appropriate.

At Albeit Masters, we are experienced in handling Title IX matters, non-Title IX sexual misconduct cases, and general misconduct allegations on both the respondent and the complainant side, and previous experience in the same is crucial to effective representation. This is because representation in a Title IX proceeding requires different decorum, advocacy and knowledge than representation in a courtroom, and an approach tailored to Title IX is critical to the best outcome possible.