Defending Against Title IX Charges in Westport
If you have been accused of violating someone else’s Title IX rights while attending or employed at a federally funded school, you will likely be subject to an investigation conducted under the supervision of your school’s Title IX office. If that investigation uncovers evidence supporting the allegation(s) against you, there will likely be a hearing to determine the disciplinary actions you may face.
While Title IX cases do not work exactly the same way as criminal trials, you still have the right to defend yourself against accusations. You also have the right to seek assistance from private legal counsel. If you need help defending against Title IX charges in Westport, an attorney from our team at The Law Offices of Mark Sherman could provide custom-tailored legal support and tenacious advocacy on your behalf.
What Does Your School Need To Prove During a Title IX Case?
One crucial difference between Title IX cases and criminal cases deals with the applicable standard of proof. This refers to the standard that investigators or prosecutors must meet in order to find the defendant guilty of an offense. For criminal cases, the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt. This means a jury cannot lawfully convict a defendant if they have any reasonable doubt that the defendant did not commit the charged offense(s).
Title IX cases, on the other hand, generally follow a standard of proof described as based on a preponderance of the evidence. In these instances, investigators only need to show that the defendant is more likely guilty than innocent of the offense(s) they have been accused of. Within this standard of proof, circumstantial evidence, conjecture, and rumors could serve as legitimate evidence during Westport Title IX cases, which may significantly complicate contesting this type of allegation.
Contesting Specific Elements of a Title IX Accusation
Rather than trying to prove a particular action or event never happened, most successful Title IX defenses attempt to prove that the defendant’s actions do not qualify as a Title IX violation. This could be accomplished by establishing that the complainant incorrectly remembers what happened or is misinterpreting someone else’s words, specific actions, or the circumstances as a whole.
Alternatively, some Title IX cases arise from a complainant accusing the defendant of something they did not do. A complainant may lie about what happened between them and the defendant. A seasoned attorney in Westport could gather every available piece of information about a Title IX charge and use this evidence to build a comprehensive defense strategy.
Contact Our Westport Attorneys for Help Defending Against Title IX Accusations
Being accused of a Title IX violation can be an unsettling experience regardless of how the allegation arises. Working with our attorneys could dramatically improve your chances of successfully defending against Title IX charges in Westport and securing a favorable case outcome.
Visit our Avvo.com profile to see what past clients have said about our services, and then contact our team at The Law Offices of Mark Sherman to schedule a consultation for your case.