Some of the best boarding schools in the country can be found in Connecticut: Choate Rosemary Hall, the Taft School, Hotchkiss, Loomis Chaffee and the Kent School.
But if your child is being accused of rape or sexual assault at any of these Connecticut boarding schools, you need to protect them from criminal and civil penalties as soon as you learn about the accusations. Not only is their professional reputation at stake, but their freedom is as well if the accusations rise to a criminal level.
Almost all private high schools and colleges are adopting Title IX-like policies in the wake of national high profile sexual assaults at boarding schools that went unchecked, were swept under the rug, or were not properly handled by the secondary school. (Title IX and its legally required investigation protocols only apply to private schools that accept federal funding).
As a result, whenever an accusation of sexual harassment or sexual assault is filed with a Connecticut boarding school, expect the school to immediately launch an intensive investigation of you and the accuser, pursuant to the Connecticut boarding school’s student handbook.
Your Connecticut Boarding School Student Handbook is Critical in any Rape Investigation
For any rape or sex assault investigation at Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss or Taft, be sure to read the student handbook carefully, particularly the section that addresses whether your child is permitted to have a top Connecticut boarding school criminal lawyer attorney by their side during their interviews with school deans and administrators. The case can very quickly escalate into a criminal investigation and if there is a police officer, state trooper or anyone with arrest authority interrogating your child, then you are absolutely entitled to hire a criminal lawyer to assist you.
If you are facing a criminal investigation at Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss or Taft, and have questions about your rights provided by the student handbook, contact an attorney right away.
For teenagers experimenting with drugs or alcohol, it’s no surprise to learn that once in a while, high school aged teenagers will over-indulge. While the Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss and Taft boarding schools have very clear alcohol and drug use policies, Connecticut boarding school students are not as informed of the fact that it’s a crime in Connecticut—Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, also called Statutory Rape—for teenagers to engage in sexual contact while physically impaired by marijuana, drugs or alcohol.
Put even more simply, there may be no “consent” when participants in sexual contact are drunk or high.
So if you’re facing a statutory rape investigation at Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss and Taft, be sure to speak to your parents or an attorney before making any admissions to school officials. Providing your Connecticut boarding school with a confession or admission to consensual sexual contact may seriously expose you to criminal charges or a Connecticut rape investigation.
In addition to school discipline, expulsion, or criminal arrest liability for a rape accusation at Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss or Taft, there’s also the possibility that your accuser will sue you and your child for personal injury liability—claiming millions of dollars in damages—arising from an alleged rape or sex assault.
The accuser and their family may make a play for a quick out-of-court settlement or money grab—or hope that you have a hefty umbrella excess liability insurance policy that might kick in to pay them off.
Don’t agree or discuss anything related to a settlement until speaking with a top Connecticut boarding school attorney lawyer. In fact, if settlement overtures are made to you or your child, they could actually help quash a bogus criminal investigation or school discipline / expulsion proceeding at Choate, Kent, Loomis, Hotchkiss and Taft
Don’t let false and malicious accusations of rape or sex assault ruin your child’s future at any of the Connecticut boarding schools. Contact one of the Mark Sherman Law Firm’s school discipline criminal lawyers today. With over 19 years of experience, Attorney Sherman has assisted clients and families with extremely sensitive criminal investigations. Feel free to check out the Firm’s Avvo.com certified client reviews from our former boarding school and college-aged clients and families. Then give us a call—we are available 24/7 at (203) 358-4700.