Title IX Considerations for Parents at Quinnipiac
If you recently learned your child is involved in a Title IX investigation while attending Quinnipiac University, you may have questions about how you can help your child through this process practically and legally. Here is a basic overview of important Title IX considerations for parents at Quinnipiac, all of which our qualified Title IX attorneys from Mark Sherman Law could answer questions about and help follow through on.
What Rights Do Parents Have During Title IX Investigations?
Your rights as parents or guardians of a child involved in Title IX proceedings change dramatically depending on whether your child is at least 18 years old. If your child is not 18 years old, you may have the right to access information about your child’s educational records and experiences at school that might be confidential under other circumstances.
Parents must remember, however, that most of the time, Quinnipiac students involved in Title IX proceedings are over the age of 18 at the time that such proceedings begin. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) prevents the parents and guardians of those students from accessing their child’s educational records unless their child gives explicit permission through a FERPA waiver. Furthermore, federal law prohibits universities from revealing confidential details about an ongoing Title IX case. The university may not acknowledge the case’s existence to anyone other than the people directly involved unless one of those people notifies their parents themselves or gives the school permission to notify their parents.
If your Quinnipiac University student does inform you or agrees to let the university inform you about their Title IX case, you need to sign a FERPA waiver before you may receive any confidential information. Furthermore, while you may be allowed to serve as your child’s advisor during a Title IX investigation, Quinnipiac University only allows your child to have one advisor at a time accompany them into hearings or other official proceedings. As a parent of a Quinnipiac student, you may want to consider how our experienced attorneys could handle your child’s Title IX proceedings.
Minimizing Long-Term Consequences of a Title IX Case
One important thing for parents of students involved in Title IX proceedings at Quinnipiac to consider is that an alleged Title IX violation is not the same thing as a criminal charge. The sanctions that could come from an adjudication of guilt are limited to what Quinnipiac University can independently enforce. This means sanctions such as jail time and monetary fines—besides restitution for specific damages, in some situations—are not potential consequences.
However, Quinnipiac’s Title IX office only has to establish culpability for a Title IX violation by a preponderance of the evidence, which is a much less strict standard of proof than beyond a reasonable doubt standard, applicable to criminal charges. On top of that, certain Title IX violations, such as sexual assault, could result in both a Title IX investigation and criminal prosecution simultaneously. In these types of cases, it may be even more important to have help from a legal professional with experience handling both types of proceedings.
Learn More About Title IX Considerations for Parents of Quinnipiac Students from a Seasoned Attorney
Title IX can be confusing even for people who enforce Title IX protections at schools such as Quinnipiac University. If you are a parent whose child is dealing with a Title IX case, the guidance of a knowledgeable legal professional could make all the difference in whether that case ends positively for your family or whether it permanently alters the course of your child’s life.
Our skilled Title IX lawyers could be the steadfast allies you need to protect your entire family’s best interests. Call Mark Sherman Law today for more information about Title IX considerations for parents at Quinnipiac. See what past clients have said about working with us by checking out the 300+ verified reviews on our Avvo.com profile.