Sacred Heart University Title IX Respondent Lawyer
Being accused of violating another person’s Title IX rights can sidetrack your academic career and your professional future, especially if you try to contest the allegations without a seasoned Title IX attorney’s support. From ensuring your rights are respected during your school’s Title IX investigation to minimizing the long-term repercussions, a Sacred Heart University Title IX respondent lawyer from Mark Sherman Law could be an irreplaceable ally throughout this process.
What Rights Do Title IX Respondents at Sacred Heart Have?
As the respondent to a Title IX complaint filed by another student or faculty member at Sacred Heart, you must understand that Title IX investigations pursued by the university’s Title IX office are not the same as criminal investigations undertaken by law enforcement authorities representing the state of Connecticut. Most notably, criminal prosecutors must prove you guilty of a criminal offense beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict you. Sacred Heart only needs to establish by a preponderance of evidence – a much lower burden of proof – that you likely violated someone else’s Title IX rights and can impose sanctions.
Additionally, while Sacred Heart is required by federal law to conduct fair and impartial investigations into alleged Title IX violations, your choice to exercise your right to remain silent, can be held against you. Likewise, you do not have the right to a trial by a jury of your peers. Instead, the decision on whether you are found responsible is decided by the investigators. They, along with student conduct officers, also have the authority to impose sanctions.
Fortunately, you have the right to have an advisor of your choice help you handle your case. Although the school policy prohibits legal representatives from speaking directly to the investigator, adjudicators, other parties, or witnesses during a hearing, they are allowed to do so when conducting cross examination of witnesses. This is a role a Sacred Heart University Title IX respondent attorney can fill for you, and their help could ensure your case ends as positively as possible.
Possible Sanctions Following a Title IX Investigation
Sacred Heart has broad authority to impose sanctions it deems appropriate against anyone found to have violated another student’s Title IX rights on campus, provided those sanctions do not extend beyond the scope of the University. Put another way, you cannot face jail time or monetary fines as a result of a Title IX violation. However, you may face such penalties if your alleged violation of Sacred Heart’s code of conduct also violates the Connecticut Penal Code.
In some situations, Sacred Heart will only impose minor sanctions to discourage further violations of Title IX, such as written warnings, mandatory counseling, or changes in class schedules or living arrangements. In more serious situations, Sacred Heart University may permanently bar a Title IX respondent from using campus facilities, suspend them for a semester or longer, or permanently expel them from school—all outcomes that seasoned lawyers could help avoid.
Consider Working With a Sacred Heart University Title IX Respondent Attorney
While Sacred Heart University is bound by federal law in many respects when it comes to investigating and sanctioning Title IX violations, it also has leeway in how it does both. That means it can be crucial, if you are facing an accusation, to have help from a legal professional who not only knows how to handle Title IX cases generally but also has experience dealing specifically with Title IX procedures at Sacred Heart.
A Sacred Heart University Title IX respondent lawyer at Mark Sherman Law can assist you. Call today to learn more, or visit our Avvo.com profile here to see what past clients have said about working with us.