What Happens When You File a Title IX Complaint or Lawsuit?

Title IX complaints and lawsuits are two of the strongest tools to help victims of sexual harassment and sex discrimination in education.  Whether you are filing about an institutional issue at a college or a high school or you are filing because of an individual’s sexual harassment or misconduct, filing a complaint or a lawsuit can get you the help you need and work to enforce policies protecting students and educators from sex discrimination and harassment.  The Law Office of Andrew Shubin’s Title IX lawsuit attorney explains what happens next after you file a complaint or a lawsuit and how the case should progress.

What Happens After Filing a Title IX Lawsuit?

The immediate aftermath of stepping forward and making a complaint about sexual harassment or sex discrimination can be scary.  In many cases, victims of this kind of harassment or discrimination fear that the school will do something to retaliate for filing the complaint.  They also fear that their claim will be made public, or that everyone will find out about their complaint.  In most cases, additional rules and procedures work to protect you so that the aftermath of your complaint should be safe and free from additional issues or retaliation.

The first thing that should happen after filing a complaint is that the school should investigate and fix the issue.  The fact that an issue was bad enough to warrant filing a Title IX complaint in the first place means that educators should take immediate steps to stop the harassment, end the discrimination, and otherwise cure the issue.  Failing to do so can make the school responsible for the continued harassment or discrimination since they now know about it.

A school is not allowed to retaliate against someone who files a Title IX complaint.  Whether you are a student, a teacher, or a staff member, you should never have to face additional pressure or harassment from the institution because you stepped forward to file a complaint.  Protection from retaliation is included within Title IX, and any steps taken to shame or punish you for filing your complaint can be punished as additional Title IX retaliation violations.  Your lawyer can work to protect you from retaliation and document any issues so that you can make additional retaliation claims.

In most cases, Title IX claims against colleges, Title IX violations in high schools, and other civil rights violations are not heavily broadcast or made public by the institution that committed the violations.  While many complaints are matters of public record, especially against public schools and universities, the details are often kept out of the news.  In many cases, you can assume that the school wants to keep their issues and complaints out of the news to keep the issue quiet.  Many issues involving Title IX that do end up in the news do so because the victim came forward to a reporter.  If a claim is filed in a court of law, it will also be a matter of public record, and reporters may be able to see these cases and filings.

How Do I File a Title IX Complaint or Lawsuit?

The process for making a Title IX complaint should be outlined by your institution.  Each high school, college, or other educational institution should have the procedures and methods for making a case available for public viewing, and they should have a Title IX coordinator who should receive notice.  Complaints can also be filed with the Office for Civil Rights, an office within the U.S. Department of Education.  Alternatively, or in addition to a complaint, the claim can be filed as a lawsuit against the institution.

Filing a complaint consists of laying out the details of the issue you are complaining about.  For cases of sex discrimination, this means outlining what happened to you and why you consider that to be discrimination.  In cases of harassment, this means detailing when the instances of harassment happened and some examples of the conduct that was used to harass you.  These can then be investigated and put to an end.

Filing a lawsuit is a stronger way to seek justice for the wrongs you suffered.  Sex discrimination can have broad effects on your education, reducing the quality of the education you receive and potentially setting you up for failure or missed opportunities.  This kind of discrimination may result in damages that you can seek compensation for.  More likely to produce damages, sexual harassment and abuse claims can also be filed in court.  Filing a sexual harassment or abuse claim against a teacher, coach, or another staff member can allow you the opportunity to seek compensation for the harm you faced from inappropriate treatment or institutional sexual abuse.

The actual process for filing a complaint or a lawsuit is complex and requires providing detailed information.  Your attorney can help you assemble the necessary paperwork and file your claim with the proper parties.  Remember that while a complaint may be good for stopping harassment, bringing light to discrimination, and protecting other students and educators in the future, a lawsuit may be more appropriate for seeking compensation and damages for the harms you suffered from harassment and discrimination.  Talk to a lawyer about which type of claim to file and how to move your case forward.

Call Our Title IX Harassment and Discrimination Lawyer for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one faced sex or gender discrimination at school, contact The Law Office of Andrew Shubin today.  Our attorney for civil rights violations represents victims of discrimination and harassment in Title IX complaint cases and lawsuits, fighting to get them compensation and justice for the wrongs they suffered.  For a free legal consultation on your case, call Andrew Shubin today at (814) 826-3586.