What are Title Ix Complaints?
Title IX complaints are filed in instances where sexual harassment and sexual conduct including sexual assault have been alleged against students, faculty, or employees at federally funded schools and educational institutions. These complaints can have high stakes for those facing disciplinary investigations and can lead to criminal investigations or prosecution by law enforcement. Therefore, the matter of whether they become public is one that is generally very important, especially to those facing such allegations. Typically, schools and universities will also not want such claims to be made public due to the negative press and stigma such cases can bring to the school’s reputation.
When Do Title IX Complaints Become Public?
Unfortunately, many sexually-related complaints that proceed to a criminal investigation and prosecution often becomes a public affair. Title IX lawsuits must be filed in the public forum of a court. However, the initial complaints usually begin by being filed with the school, college, or university where the accusations took place as well as the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the Department of Education. Following the complaint, hearings will take place generally before a panel of decision-makers that is not open to the public. Parties to the hearing can be permitted to participate remotely, such as through videoconferencing.
Both schools and universities are public institutions and therefore their documents are public records. However, because Title IX complaints contain such sensitive material which can include allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of faculty or staff, schools may be reluctant to disclose the information to the public.
In cases where you have been accused of educational sexual misconduct and wish to keep it as private as possible, it is recommended that you bring in an attorney experienced in these situations. At Parisi, Coan & Saccocio, PLLC, our team has more than 30 years of experience handling Title IX violation allegations and matters. We have extensively advised and represented individuals in all procedures related to them and can apply that knowledge and insight to your case doing all possible to protect your rights and your privacy.
Contact us online or at (737) 200-2332 to consult with a Title IX attorney serving New York, California, Texas, North Carolina, and Arizona today.