Maryland Title IX Lawyer
Title IX is a federal law that tasks colleges and universities with investigating, making findings of disciplinary violations, and penalizing students facing accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment. As a result, college policies and procedures play a significant role in the harsh sanctions that students may receive based on allegations of Title IX violations.
A Maryland Title IX lawyer may be able to help you understand the process, protect your rights, and work with you to reach the best possible outcome in your case.
Although there are suggestions that the responsibilities of colleges and universities to handle allegations of sexual misconduct on campus may be changing or reinterpreted under the current administration, most schools have continued to follow the previous guidance issued by the federal government.
As a result, the decisions of school administrators can have a substantial impact on your future, both in terms of your continuing education and your future career.
If you are accused of sexual misconduct on campus, you may wish to speak with a student defense lawyer to guide you through these often confusing and complicated proceedings.
How a Title IX Attorney May Help
A Title IX lawyer in Maryland can be essential to a more favorable outcome in Title IX proceedings for a variety of reasons. First, legal counsel may be able to ensure that the accused students get a fair hearing. In the realm of college conduct code proceedings, students have no constitutional rights, which often leaves them going into unfamiliar proceedings blind and without an advocate on their behalf.
Experienced legal representation can educate students accused of misconduct about the college or university student disciplinary proceedings and adequately prepare them for the different meetings and hearings that they may attend. In these proceedings, students often feel prejudged and pressured to prove their innocence, unlike in the criminal court arena, where the prosecutor has the burden of proving guilt. Legal advice and counsel before these events can help students be more at ease in this situation and prevent them from accidentally saying something that might incriminate them in the eyes of school officials.
Keeping Schools Accountable for Their Rules and Procedures
Not only can a Title IX attorney in Maryland take steps to make sure that accused students receive all the due process and fair treatment required, but legal counsel can monitor the compliance of the school with its procedures.
Without the involvement of counsel, schools may be tempted to circumvent required processes or skip over necessary steps in the disciplinary process. Given all that is at stake in student disciplinary proceedings, accused students deserve all the protections to which they are entitled.
Legal counsel also can fight for the rights of accused students to have comprehensive knowledge of the allegations against them and any supporting evidence.
All too often, school officials rush to judgment and try to push student conduct code proceedings to a quick resolution to avoid media coverage and scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Education. Having legal guidance throughout these proceedings can prevent schools from undermining the rights of those accused of misconduct.
Talk to a Maryland Title IX Attorney Today
Charges of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and sexual harassment under Title IX on college campuses are rampant, and those who are caught up in accusations of wrongdoing are often unaware of their rights and how to protect themselves in these proceedings.
If these students proceed without legal advice, they risk life-altering penalties that could make their future educational and career prospects far more difficult.
A Maryland Title IX lawyer has the skill and knowledge necessary to represent the interests of students charged with misconduct in student disciplinary proceedings.
Aside from academic sanctions, schools also are likely to refer allegations of sexual assault or violence to law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution. As criminal proceedings may occur much more slowly than the expedited timeframes for Title IX proceedings, admissions, statements, and evidence in Title IX cases may directly impact the criminal prosecution. The presence of a criminal investigation makes it even more crucial that accused students get the legal advice that they need in these circumstances.