NATIONWIDE REPRESENTATION FOR STUDENTS FACING TITLE IX INVESTIGATIONS, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS & UNIVERSITY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
Being accused of sexual misconduct at a college or university can turn a student’s life upside down very quickly.
One day, you’re focused on classes, friends, athletics, graduation, or what comes next. Then an email arrives from the university saying a complaint has been made and you’re being asked to participate in a Title IX investigation.
For students, it can be frightening and confusing. For parents, it can be just as difficult. You want to protect your child, but you may have no idea how the university’s process works or what your son or daughter should do next.
Attorney Tom Matthews represents college and university students facing Title IX investigations, sexual misconduct allegations, and disciplinary proceedings nationwide.
From the first notice of an allegation through interviews, evidence review, hearings, disciplinary decisions, and appeals, we help students understand what they’re facing and build a thoughtful, evidence-based defense.
If you or your child has received notice of a Title IX investigation, getting legal guidance early can matter.
Call 866-496-5506 to Speak With Title IX defense attorney Matthews for a free, confidential consultation.
Nationwide Title IX Defense for College and University Students
Every Title IX case is different.
The allegations are different. The evidence is different. And the procedures can vary significantly from one college or university to another.
Title IX is a federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. In the university setting, Title IX procedures may be used to address allegations involving sexual harassment and certain forms of sexual misconduct.
Federal law establishes requirements schools must follow, but universities also have their own student conduct codes, sexual misconduct policies, hearing procedures, deadlines, and appeal rules.
That distinction matters.
A strong defense isn’t built from a generic understanding of Title IX. It starts with understanding what actually happened, what evidence exists, what the student is accused of doing, and exactly what rules that particular school will use to decide the case.
We represent students at colleges and universities throughout the United States and can become involved at virtually any stage of a Title IX or related student disciplinary proceeding.
Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Allegations We Defend
University disciplinary cases can arise from many different situations. We represent students facing allegations involving:
- Sexual assault
- Non-consensual sexual contact
- Sexual harassment
- Consent disputes
- Incapacitation allegations
- Dating or relationship misconduct
- Domestic violence allegations
- Stalking
- Retaliation
- Sexual exploitation
- Technology or social-media-related allegations
- Violations of university sexual misconduct policies
- Related student conduct violations
Many of these cases aren’t simple.
The students may know each other. They may have been dating or previously intimate. They may have attended the same party or social event. There may be text messages or social media conversations before and after the encounter.
Sometimes the parties agree about certain events but have very different accounts of what those events meant.
An allegation is the beginning of the process. It isn’t the end of it.
The job of the defense is to slow things down, look carefully at what happened, examine the evidence, and make sure the student’s side of the story is fully understood.
The Title IX Process Can Move Quickly
Students are often surprised by how quickly a university investigation begins.
The first indication may simply be an email from a Title IX coordinator, dean, investigator, student conduct office, or another university administrator.
The natural reaction is often: I need to explain what happened.
That instinct is understandable.
But this is also one of the points where students can unintentionally make their situation more difficult.
A rushed email, an incomplete statement, a poorly prepared interview, or overlooked evidence can become part of the case.
Before responding in detail, it helps to understand exactly what the university is investigating and what happens next.
1. Notice of the Allegations
The student may receive written notice identifying the alleged conduct and the university policies potentially involved.
Read it carefully.
The notice can define the scope of the investigation and provide the first clear picture of what the university believes needs to be investigated.
2. Preserve the Evidence
One of the first priorities should be preserving potentially relevant evidence.
That might include text messages, direct messages, photographs, videos, social media communications, emails, location information, rideshare records, witness information, electronic records, and communications before and after the alleged incident.
Don’t delete something simply because it’s embarrassing or seems unimportant.
Something that appears insignificant at first can become important once the full timeline is reconstructed.
3. Investigation and Interviews
The university may interview the complainant, the responding student, and other witnesses.
This is an important part of the case.
An interview isn’t simply a conversation with someone from the university. What the student says can become part of the investigative record and may later be compared with messages, witness accounts, physical or digital evidence, and other statements.
Preparation matters.
4. Evidence Review
Depending on the procedure governing the case, the parties may have an opportunity to review evidence gathered during the investigation and respond to it.
This is where details can become especially important.
Are there inconsistencies between statements? Is context missing from a text conversation? Does a witness’s account actually match the timeline? Is there evidence that hasn’t been considered?
A careful review can change how the overall case looks.
5. Hearing or Decision-Making Process
Some cases proceed to a formal hearing or another university decision-making process.
The rules depend on the proceeding and the institution.
Before that happens, the student should understand how the process works, what evidence will be considered, what questions may arise, and how the defense will be presented.
6. Decision and Appeal
If the university finds a policy violation, there may be an opportunity to appeal.
Deadlines can be short.
Depending on the school’s policy, potential appeal issues may include procedural errors, newly available evidence, conflicts of interest or bias, or other grounds recognized by the institution.
Don’t Wait Until the Hearing to Start Your Defense
A Title IX defense shouldn’t begin a few days before a hearing.
By then, much of the case may already be on paper.
The student may have given statements. Witnesses may have been interviewed. Evidence may have been submitted. Investigators may have reached preliminary conclusions. Important deadlines may have passed.
The earlier we become involved, the more opportunity there is to understand the allegations, preserve evidence, review the school’s rules, build an accurate timeline, prepare for interviews, and address problems before they become embedded in the record.
Sometimes students call because they’ve just received the first email from the university.
Others call when an investigation has already been underway for weeks.
Either way, the important thing is to understand where the case stands and what should happen next.
Facing a Title IX Investigation? Talk With an Attorney Before You Respond.
Consent Is Often at the Center of the Case
Many university sexual misconduct cases aren’t disputes over whether an encounter occurred.
They’re disputes over consent.
The students may have very different memories or interpretations of the same night. They may disagree about what was said, what was communicated through conduct, whether consent continued throughout an encounter, or whether someone had the capacity to consent.
These cases are highly fact-specific.
Messages exchanged before the encounter may matter. So can communications afterward. Friends may have seen the students together earlier in the evening. Photographs, videos, location information, social media activity, rideshare records, or other electronic evidence may help establish what happened and when.
The school’s own definition of consent and incapacity also matters.
There usually isn’t one piece of evidence that tells the entire story.
The goal is to put the pieces together and understand the complete picture.
The Evidence Often Tells a Bigger Story
Most college students live a significant part of their lives on their phones.
That means modern Title IX cases can involve a surprising amount of digital evidence.
Potential evidence may include:
- Text messages and iMessages
- Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and other social media communications
- Dating app messages
- Photographs and videos
- Emails
- Phone records
- Location information
- Rideshare records
- Receipts and transaction records
- Dormitory or building access information
- Witness statements
- Communications between the students after the alleged incident
- Relevant medical or other records when legally appropriate
But simply collecting evidence isn’t enough.
Context matters.
One screenshot can look very different when the messages immediately before and after it are included. A witness’s recollection may not fit the documented timeline. A message sent the next morning may become important when compared with what someone later said happened.
The defense needs to look at the whole record, not isolated pieces of it.
Preparing for a Title IX Interview
It’s completely normal for a student facing an allegation to be nervous, angry, embarrassed, or simply confused about what to say.
Some students are convinced that if they can just sit down with the investigator and explain everything, the situation will go away.
Sometimes that confidence causes them to walk into an important interview without preparing for it.
Before participating in an investigative interview, the student should understand the allegations, review the relevant timeline and communications, know what evidence exists, and be prepared for difficult questions.
That doesn’t mean memorizing answers.
In fact, it shouldn’t.
It means being prepared enough to talk clearly and accurately about events that may have happened weeks or months earlier, while understanding the significance of the interview.
What’s at Stake?
A university disciplinary proceeding isn’t a criminal trial.
But for the student going through it, the consequences can still be very real.
Depending on the institution, allegations, and findings, potential consequences may include:
- Disciplinary probation
- Restrictions on campus activities
- No-contact directives
- Housing changes
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Loss of athletic or extracurricular opportunities
- Interruption of academic progress
- Disciplinary records
- Effects on transfer or future educational opportunities
For a student who has spent years working toward a degree, a graduate program, a professional career, or an athletic opportunity, it’s understandable that the uncertainty alone can feel overwhelming.
Our job is to bring some order to that situation.
Understand the process. Understand the evidence. Determine what can be done. Then take the case one step at a time.
When a Title IX Case Also Involves the Police
Some sexual misconduct allegations can lead to both a university proceeding and a criminal investigation.
They’re two different systems.
The university is determining whether its policies were violated. Police and prosecutors are concerned with whether criminal law may have been violated.
The procedures, standards, consequences, and rights involved can be very different.
But the two cases don’t necessarily exist in separate worlds.
What a student says in connection with a university investigation can create issues outside the university process. That’s why students should be particularly careful about making statements when law enforcement is already involved—or may become involved.
When both proceedings exist, the strategy needs to account for both.
For Parents: Your Child Doesn’t Have to Handle This Alone
For many parents, the first call comes unexpectedly.
Your son or daughter tells you they’ve received an email from the university. Someone has made an allegation. There’s going to be an investigation.
And you may have no idea what you’re supposed to do.
That’s normal.
Most families have never dealt with a Title IX proceeding before.
Your child may be frightened about being suspended or expelled. They may be embarrassed to talk about intimate details. They may be angry. Or they may insist that the entire situation is a misunderstanding and will disappear once they explain themselves.
The first priority isn’t to panic.
It’s to understand what has actually happened.
What does the notice say? What policy is involved? Is an interview scheduled? Are there deadlines? What evidence exists? Has the student already made statements?
Once those questions are answered, the situation usually becomes much easier to approach.
Parents can play an important role in helping a student stay organized, preserve information, obtain appropriate advice, and make thoughtful decisions while the process unfolds.
What Does a Title IX Defense Attorney Actually Do?
Hiring an attorney for a Title IX matter isn’t simply about having someone show up for a hearing.
Much of the important work happens before then.
Depending on the case and the university’s rules, representation may include:
Understanding the allegations.
We start by determining precisely what the student is accused of doing and what university policies are involved.
Understanding the school’s rules.
We review the institution’s Title IX policy, sexual misconduct rules, student conduct code, investigative procedures, hearing rules, deadlines, and appeal provisions.
Finding and preserving evidence.
We identify communications, witnesses, electronic information, and other evidence that may be important to the defense.
Building the timeline.
We work through what happened before, during, and after the alleged incident and compare that account with the available evidence.
Preparing the student.
We help the student understand what to expect and prepare for interviews, meetings, and hearings.
Reviewing the investigative record.
We look for inconsistencies, missing context, credibility issues, conflicting evidence, and information that requires a response.
Preparing for the hearing.
If the matter proceeds to a hearing, we prepare the defense and help the student understand exactly how the process will work.
Evaluating an appeal.
If the outcome is unfavorable, we review the decision and determine whether grounds exist for an appeal under the school’s procedures.
The defense should fit the case.
There isn’t a template that works for every student, every allegation, or every university.
Federal Title IX Rules Matter. So Does Your University’s Policy.
Title IX establishes federal requirements for educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance.
The current federal regulatory framework is based on the 2020 Title IX regulations. The 2024 regulations were vacated by a federal court in January 2025 and are not currently effective.
But knowing the federal rules is only part of understanding a student’s case.
Every college and university has its own policies and procedures within the applicable legal framework.
Those rules can affect how notice is provided, how evidence is handled, who participates in hearings, what deadlines apply, how decisions are made, and what rights exist on appeal.
That’s why one of the first things we want to see is the school’s actual policy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Title IX Defense
Should I talk to the university investigator before contacting an attorney?
If you’re facing a serious allegation, it makes sense to understand what you’re accused of and how the university’s process works before providing a detailed statement. Once an interview or written statement becomes part of the record, it can affect what happens later.
Can I have an attorney during a Title IX case?
Federal rules and institutional policies can provide for an advisor during covered Title IX proceedings, and students may choose an attorney as their advisor. Exactly what the attorney can do during the proceeding can depend on the institution and the type of case.
What if the allegation isn’t true?
Then the focus needs to be on the evidence. That may include messages, witnesses, timelines, photographs, videos, electronic information, inconsistencies in the allegation, or other facts supporting the student’s account.
Simply saying an allegation is false isn’t enough. The defense needs to show why the evidence supports that position.
What if both students were drinking?
Alcohol is involved in many university sexual misconduct cases, but intoxication and incapacity aren’t necessarily the same thing.
The university’s definition of consent and incapacity matters, as do the amount and timing of alcohol consumption, witness observations, communications, and other evidence.
Can text messages really make a difference?
Absolutely. Messages before and after an alleged incident can provide context, establish timelines, identify witnesses, and sometimes support or contradict important parts of either person’s account.
The entire conversation is usually more useful than a single screenshot.
Can a student really be suspended or expelled?
Yes. Depending on the institution and the findings, suspension and expulsion can be potential sanctions, along with less severe disciplinary measures.
What if police are involved too?
Talk to an attorney before making statements.
A university investigation and criminal investigation are separate proceedings, but decisions made in one can potentially affect the other.
Do you represent students outside California?
Yes. Tom Matthews represents college and university students facing Title IX and sexual misconduct proceedings nationwide, subject to the circumstances of the matter and applicable rules governing representation.
When should we call a Title IX attorney?
Earlier is usually better.
If possible, seek guidance before substantive interviews or detailed written statements. That gives the defense more opportunity to preserve evidence, understand the university’s procedures, prepare the student, and identify potential problems before the record has already been established.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out on Your Own
If you’ve just received a Title IX notice, you probably have a lot of questions.
That’s okay.
You don’t need to understand the entire university disciplinary system today.
You need to understand what you’re accused of, what happens next, and what you should—and shouldn’t—do right now.
Attorney Tom Matthews represents students facing Title IX investigations and sexual misconduct allegations at colleges and universities nationwide.
Whether the first email from the university arrived this morning or the case is already approaching a hearing, we can review where things stand and help determine the next step.
Protect Your Education. Protect Your Reputation. Protect What Comes Next.