School Employee Title IX Defense

Defending University Faculty and Staff Accused Under Title IX

At colleges and universities across the country, Title IX allegations carry weighty consequences for students and school employees alike. Stated differently, there is equal need for an advisor for students who face expulsion and school staff who face the loss of their jobs and careers. Simply, for faculty members, teaching assistants, coaches, researchers, administrators, and other university employees, the stakes are often heightened. One accusation of sexual assault, inappropriate sexual contact, dating violence, or failure to obtain affirmative consent can trigger immediate administrative action, long-term reputational damage, and, again, even the end of a career built over decades.

Saland Law, founded by criminal defense attorney, former Manhattan prosecutor, and Title IX advisor Jeremy Saland, provides strategic defense to college and university employees nationwide who are facing investigations or disciplinary proceedings. Based in New York City and well-versed in campus policies and federal law, the firm protects not just your job, but your professional future.

Whether you are a tenured professor, an adjunct instructor, or a staff member caught in a deeply politicized or emotionally charged complaint, Saland Law offers experienced guidance through every phase of the Title IX process.

When the Accused is a Professor or University Employee

Career-Threatening Accusations

Unlike students, university employees operate in a layered environment, one that involves institutional policies, academic codes of conduct, human resource protocols, and in some cases, union protections. A Title IX allegation can bypass years of service, tenure protections, or exemplary evaluations. As soon as a complaint is filed, schools often respond with administrative leave, temporary restrictions on campus access, or suspension of duties.

From that moment forward, the individual’s career trajectory may be fundamentally altered, regardless of the outcome.

Real-World Examples of Alleged Misconduct

The most common allegations university employees face under Title IX include:

• Inappropriate sexual contact with a student
  
• Failure to obtain affirmative consent
  
• Dating violence within a student-employee or peer-employee relationship
  
• Unwelcome sexual advances or comments
  
• Abuse of authority or coercive dynamics in academic settings

These cases often arise not from overt criminal behavior, but from murky situations involving miscommunications, false assumptions, or romantic relationships that deteriorated. Regardless of intent, Title IX investigations treat such allegations seriously.

Impact Beyond the Classroom

A finding of responsibility can lead to dismissal, revocation of tenure, barred access to research funds, loss of eligibility for future academic positions, and public listing on databases that track faculty misconduct. Even if cleared, the accused may find that the damage to reputation within academia or a specific discipline is irreversible.

Saland Law’s Title IX advisors understand these risks and tailor their defense accordingly; focused not only on disproving allegations, but also preserving the client’s academic and professional identity.

How Title IX Proceedings Work for Employees

Initial Complaint and Institutional Response

Title IX proceedings begin when a formal complaint is filed with the university’s Title IX coordinator. In reality, this is no different than a student accused of violation of the law. If the respondent is a school employee, the institution must notify them of the specific allegations and provide an opportunity to respond. This may involve claims of sexual assault, dating violence, or coercive sexual contact with a student or colleague.

Most universities place employees on administrative leave during the investigation, often barring them from campus, classrooms, and online communication systems. These steps, though sometimes described as “non-disciplinary,” can quickly erode an individual’s standing in their department or among students.

Saland Law works immediately to intervene with the Title IX office, HR representatives, and legal counsel for the school to protect the accused’s procedural rights from the outset.

Investigative Process

The investigation phase involves gathering documents, electronic records, statements, and witness interviews. At research institutions, that might include reviewing collaborative messages on academic projects. In the athletic context, communications between coaching staff and student-athletes may be scrutinized for tone, boundaries, or implied pressure.

Saland Law carefully examines:

• Whether the interactions in question violated university policy or were taken out of context
  
• Whether the complainant was a direct subordinate, student, or co-equal
  
• Whether existing policies were clearly communicated to the employee
  
• Whether the investigation is being handled by trained and impartial personnel

For many university employees, power dynamics are assumed to exist based solely on professional rank. This can distort the facts of a relationship and lead to findings unsupported by evidence. A skilled Title IX defense must confront those presumptions directly.

Hearings and Adjudication

When  the school provides for a live hearing , the accused has the right to present evidence and question witnesses through an advisor. In practice, this may be the only opportunity to fully contest the allegations. Witness credibility, gaps in the complainant’s story, and missing evidence often come to light here but only if the respondent is fully prepared. For that matter, contradictory evidence can be the weapon a teacher or faculty member needs to “win the day” and far beyond.

Jeremy Saland, as a former prosecutor, criminal lawyer, and experienced Title IX advisor, prepares clients for the pressure of hearings through mock examinations, strategic positioning, and in-depth review of every document. The hearing isn’t just about truth, though gathering your evidence is central to your defense. It’s about presentation, professionalism, and poise under fire.

Appeals and Post-Hearing Options

If the finding is adverse, Saland Law evaluates all available appeal grounds, which often include:

• New evidence not previously available
  
• Procedural errors or bias by investigators
  
• Misapplication of the school’s own policies
  
• Sanctions that are disproportionate to the alleged conduct

In certain cases, Jeremy Saland has successfully reversed initial findings or reduced sanctions through the appeals process. Where appropriate, the firm also prepares clients for subsequent litigation, including breach of contract claims or challenges under constitutional or state employment law.

Unique Vulnerabilities for College Employees

Faculty-Student Boundaries

Faculty accused of misconduct often find that Title IX coordinators presume a lack of consent in any romantic or sexual involvement with students even if the relationship was legal and voluntary. Some schools ban these relationships entirely; others allow them with disclosure. Yet in most cases, once a complaint is made, the fact that a professor held a grading or advisory role places them in a presumptively “coercive” position.

Saland Law pushes back on overbroad interpretations of power imbalance, especially when the student was not under the employee’s supervision or when there was no clear policy violation. It is undoubtedly not lost on you that the entire process from investigation through the hearing should not be about the school covering themselves and protecting their interest over yours, but your rights and your name alone.

Research and Reputation

Allegations can also result in removal from funded projects, denied promotions, and severed relationships with academic journals or conferences. Unlike students, whose disciplinary records may remain confidential, university employees are more exposed to media coverage and internal gossip.

Saland Law takes a broader view of defense, focused not just on avoiding a finding of responsibility, but on rehabilitating a client’s professional narrative.

Dual Proceedings

Because sexual assault or sexual contact allegations may violate criminal statutes, the same conduct can trigger police involvement. Faculty and staff must tread carefully when communicating with the university, as those statements can be subpoenaed later.

Saland Law handles both institutional defense and either your criminal defense or works with your criminal lawyer, ensuring that clients do not inadvertently harm themselves in either forum.

Why Saland Law

Jeremy Saland represents those accused at Ivy League institutions, state universities, liberal arts colleges, and elite private schools. His courtroom-tested skills, paired with his understanding of Title IX procedures and real-world experience in fact finding hearings, allow him to approach these cases with both nuance and assertiveness.

The firm is known for:

• Securing positive outcomes in sexual misconduct cases
  
• Advising during parallel criminal investigations
  
• Negotiating quiet separations or resolutions when appropriate
  
• Protecting academic reputations and future employability

Clients choose Saland Law not just for legal acumen, but for discretion, responsiveness, and integrity.

Although based in New York City, Saland Law represents clients throughout the country. The firm participates in virtual hearings, consults with university counsel, and interfaces with Title IX offices from coast to coast. No matter where your school is located, Saland Law can guide you through your defense with hands-on attention and clarity.

Contact Us

When university employees face Title IX allegations, they are not merely at risk of losing their job, they are at risk of losing everything they’ve worked their lives to build. One moment of ambiguity, one misinterpreted gesture, or one contested relationship can put years of dedication in jeopardy.

Saland Law’s Title IX advisors  defend faculty, staff, researchers, and university professionals with focus, diligence, and an unwavering commitment to fairness. Whether the accusation involves sexual assault, dating violence, sexual contact, or a failure to obtain affirmative consent, the firm is equipped to protect your rights, restore your reputation, and safeguard your career.

If you’re a university employee under investigation, contact Saland Law today. The defense you deserve begins now.