Title IX is a massive group of laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex at all schools that receive federal funding. While this typically only impacts the schools and their administrators, these laws can have a direct effect upon students accused of certain crimes or harassing behavior.
If you are facing allegations of criminal activity connected to the sex of an alleged victim, you may find yourself facing a Title IX accusation. This could result in serious consequences for your academic future. In addition, many of these allegations are also criminal offenses where a conviction could result in a lengthy jail sentence.
A Fairfax Title IX lawyer could help you to defeat these allegations and to return to your academic life. A skilled attorney could work to defend your rights in any school disciplinary hearings and to provide a powerful defense in case of any criminal charges.
Title IX prohibits any form of sex discrimination directed at students. This requires schools to refrain from taking discriminatory acts themselves, but also requires the schools to investigate and punish any alleged discrimination supposedly committed by their members. This includes instances of harassment or criminal activity allegedly committed by their students.
Because schools are required to investigate these matters, it is likely that any school that receives a complaint will treat that complaint with the utmost seriousness. This can often include opening a formal investigation. Every school has their own unique methods and rules, but in general, a school will gather evidence, conduct interviews, and may require a student to provide a written statement or to answer questions in person.
A Fairfax Title IX lawyer could help students who are the subjects of these inquiries. They can help students to understand the process at their school and provide guidance as to how to conduct themselves at these hearings. The available punishment for misbehavior can rise to the level of expulsion, even if there is no criminal case in Fairfax’s courts. It is vital that students act swiftly to protect themselves.
While many allegations of Title IX violations are not criminal matters, many others are. Of course, if the discrimination based on sex involves some sort of violence or intimidation, the school must report these allegations to local police. This may certainly result in criminal charges in addition to any school disciplinary hearings.
Common examples of criminal offenses that may be motivated by the alleged victim’s sex are:
A conviction for any of these misdemeanor offenses can result in a jail sentence. Certainly, a conviction for a felony potentially carries a mandatory prison term. A student’s main concern should be to try and defeat these criminal allegations. While a criminal conviction does not guarantee a poor result in a disciplinary hearing, it can certainly serve as powerful evidence. In the same vein, an acquittal in court does not promise the same result at school. A Fairfax Title IX lawyer could help students in each of these related yet separate legal proceedings.
Any person who faces an allegation of a crime involving the harassment of a person because of their sex ought to be concerned. However, the situation becomes even more serious if a criminal charge is accompanied by a school disciplinary hearing. Even if you manage to escape conviction in court, or if criminal charges never result, the school may still act to change your academic future.
A Fairfax Title IX lawyer could help you in both areas. They can work to serve as a defense attorney in any criminal charges that may follow an accusation. At the same time, they can help you to develop a defense designed to protect your academic privileges. Time may be short—contact an attorney today to see how they might help you.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
