Sacred Heart University Title IX College Faculty and Staff Lawyer
Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments requires all federally funded colleges and universities in the country to take specific preventative actions to protect everyone at their school from sex-based discrimination and harassment. “Everyone” in this context includes students, faculty, and staff members. Just as students can face sanctions for alleged violations of someone else’s Title IX rights, so too can people employed by the institution that is investigating the allegation.
If you are a professor or employee facing accusations of Title IX violations at Sacred Heart, you should strongly consider reaching out to a Title IX attorney from Mark Sherman Law for help with your case. This kind of investigation can be deceptively tricky to handle proactively and effectively. Support from a seasoned Sacred Heart University Title IX college faculty and staff lawyer can make a huge difference in your chances of achieving a favorable outcome.
Common Grounds for Title IX Investigations Against Faculty and Staff
Title IX, by definition, simply states that no person should experience the denial of any benefits, the restriction from participation, or the experience of discrimination within an “education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” In the decades since Title IX first became law, the federal Department of Education and various federal courts have established more specific rules for how colleges and universities should go about enforcing Title IX. Most notably, this includes an obligation to investigate alleged Title IX violations on campus, or off-campus as part of school-sponsored activities, and impose sanctions on violators to prevent future offenses by others.
In practice, most accusations of Title IX violations made against college faculty and staff members at Sacred Heart University involve some form of alleged sexual harassment, assault, or discrimination in hiring or teaching practices; as our attorneys can further explain, Sacred Heart’s Title IX coordinator can open investigations into professors, teaching and resident assistants, administrative employees, athletics coaches, and deans.
What Consequences Can Title IX Proceedings Have?
While certain acts may violate both Title IX and the Connecticut Penal Code, our attorneys know that a Title IX investigation into a Sacred Heart University faculty or staff member is very different from being criminally prosecuted in a Connecticut court. On the one hand, Sacred Heart’s Administration is limited to the penalties it can impose, which may include mandatory leave, restrictions on campus privileges, and potentially dismissal from employment.
Moreover, the burden of proof that the University must meet to find you guilty of a Title IX violation is much lower than that applicable to criminal cases. An accusation alone can significantly damage your personal and professional reputation. Our lawyers are here to help manage every aspect of your unique case and will work diligently to protect your best interests every step of the way.
Get in Touch With a Sacred Heart University Title IX College Faculty and Staff Attorney Today
Being accused of engaging in sexual misconduct and violating someone else’s Title IX rights can be a career-altering experience, even if an ensuing investigation does not find any evidence that you acted improperly. If you are found guilty, the resulting sanctions could mean the end of your employment at Sacred Heart and potentially at other schools as well. In addition, you may face criminal repercussions if your offense violates Connecticut state law.
Put simply, this is an extremely serious situation, and under circumstances like this, you should settle for nothing less than legal representation from an experienced and tenacious professional like Mark Sherman. Call today to see what a Sacred Heart University Title IX college faculty and staff lawyer could do for you, or see what past clients have said about working with us by clicking here and visiting our Avvo.com profile.