NYU Title IX Lawyer

Navigating a Title IX matter at New York University is stressful, time sensitive, and deeply personal. Whether the allegation involves sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, or nonconsensual sexual contact, the stakes include your education, your career trajectory, and your reputation. Saland Law provides clear, strategic guidance at every step, and has done so for many students at NYU. The firm is led by Jeremy Saland, a criminal lawyer and former Manhattan prosecutor who advises both respondents and complainants in campus proceedings. Located  in New York City, Saland Law has deep roots in Manhattan and, more importantly,  has the tools and specific experience at NYU to coordinate the right strategy whether all the parties are here in New York City or across jurisdictions, whether a student or witness is studying abroad or lives out of state.

When you retain a Title IX attorney-advisor, you should expect more than a mere advocate with limited experience in these complicated matters and collateral proceedings. You should expect a plan created specifically for you by counsel well versed in NYU, the criminal law, and New York’s family court in cases involving domestic violence. That plan often starts with controlling early communications, preserving key evidence, understanding NYU’s procedures, and identifying the precise regulatory rules that will govern your case. A misstep in the opening days of an investigation – or at any stage – can shadow the entire outcome. With experience advising both sides along with in-depth knowledge of the law, our team anticipates the other party’s strategy and prepares you to make measured, confident decisions instead of reactive ones.

Title IX For The NYU Community

The Statute And The Regulations 

Title IX is a federal civil rights law. The statute, codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1681, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. That broad mandate covers universities like NYU and encompasses admissions, housing, athletics, and academic and extracurricular life.

Title IX is implemented through Department of Education regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106. After a nationwide court decision in January 2025 vacated the Department’s 2024 Final Rule, the Department confirmed that the 2020 Title IX Rule is back in effect and is the basis for current enforcement. In practice, that means NYU’s handling of sexual harassment complaints must comply with the 2020 regulatory framework unless and until new, valid regulations take hold.

Under the 2020 Rule, “sexual harassment” for Title IX purposes includes quid pro quo by an employee, hostile environment harassment that is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, and certain Clery and VAWA offenses such as sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. The Rule also requires supportive measures for complainants, a presumption of nonresponsibility for respondents, and defined grievance procedures.

How New York’s “Enough Is Enough” Law Interacts With Title IX

New York’s Education Law Article 129-B, often called “Enough Is Enough,” imposes additional obligations on colleges and universities in the state. Critically, it requires every institution to adopt a uniform definition of affirmative consent to sexual activity. That definition makes clear that consent is a knowing, voluntary, and mutual decision that can be communicated by words or actions, and that silence or lack of resistance alone is not consent. The law also addresses amnesty for alcohol or drug use when reporting, and provides a Student Bill of Rights. NYU must comply with these state requirements alongside Title IX.

For students and employees, the interaction of Title IX and Article 129-B matters in real ways. For example, an allegation of nonconsensual sexual contact will be evaluated under NYU’s code with the state’s affirmative consent standard, while the federal Title IX definitions and procedures will control when the conduct falls within Title IX’s jurisdiction. Understanding both frameworks helps you anticipate how NYU will label conduct, what evidence will matter, and what remedies are available under each policy.

How NYU Typically Processes A Title IX Report

NYU’s Title IX resources explain that the University prohibits sex discrimination and sexual harassment and that its Equal Opportunity office oversees related policies, including the Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy and procedures for complaints against students and employees. Practical takeaway: there are specific offices, procedures, and timelines, and your matter will be routed through them.

A report can be made by a complainant, a third party, or an employee designated as a responsible reporter. Upon notice, NYU should reach out to the complainant to discuss supportive measures, describe the process for filing a formal complaint, and explain options for law enforcement or university resolution. Supportive measures can include academic adjustments, housing changes, counseling referrals, and mutual or one-way no-contact directives. These measures are designed to restore or preserve equal access to education without unreasonably burdening the other party. They are available regardless of whether a formal complaint is filed.

Jurisdiction matters. Title IX requires dismissal of a formal complaint for Title IX purposes if the alleged conduct does not meet the federal definition of sexual harassment, did not occur in an NYU education program or activity, or did not occur in the United States. NYU can still address such conduct under other policies, including those that apply off campus or in study abroad settings, but the Title IX grievance process would not govern those allegations. Knowing where and how the incident is alleged to have occurred is therefore critical to predicting process and outcome.

The Role Of Stalking and Sexual Assault in Short and Long-Term Intimate Relationships

Sometimes good relationships go bad. Whether a same sex or male and female relationship, what was once overlooked by one side as possible or real sexual misconduct, such as a sexual assault, will no longer be ignored. Alternatively, anger, jealousy, and vindictiveness by one party may lead to false and hurtful allegations against the other as a punishment for breaking up. Either way, once a Title IX complaint is made, there is much work to do before matters dangerously escalate. What does your text or DM history reflect on the dates in question or even generally? Are there any witnesses who can confirm or corroborate one side or the other? Are there photographs or voicemails? Simply, there is a story to be told and it is essential to preserve and share the correct narrative in a straightforward and compelling way. Doing that on your own or with an inexperienced advisor, as opposed to Saland Law, can mean the difference between exoneration or a finding of responsibility.

The Role Of Affirmative Consent And Alcohol In Campus Cases

Because New York mandates an affirmative consent standard, the focus in many NYU matters is not on whether a complainant said no, but whether the parties’ words or actions created clear permission to engage in sexual activity. Evidence of affirmative consent can include contemporaneous communications, mutual participation, or other behaviors that unambiguously signal agreement. At the same time, the absence of clear permission, or withdrawal of permission, defeats consent.

Alcohol and drugs complicate these assessments. While Article 129-B provides limited amnesty for alcohol or drug use when reporting, it does not dilute the requirement that consent be knowing and voluntary. If a complainant was incapacitated, there can be no consent. If a respondent’s consumption impaired judgment but did not create incapacity, the analysis centers on what a reasonable person would have understood in the moment. Detailed timelines, witness statements, messages, access records, and even expert input can become pivotal to reconstructing capacity, awareness, and intent.

Parallel Criminal Investigations And Evidence Preservation

A campus Title IX case is not the same as a criminal case. Different standards of proof apply, different rights and remedies are available, and the timing of interviews or forensic examinations may vary. In other words, what may not pass in a criminal case may be enough to satisfy the burden for or against you in a Title IX investigation. To protect yourself in both, however, you should preserve all potentially relevant materials immediately, including texts, social media messages, photos, door access logs, rideshare receipts, and health or counseling records where you choose to disclose them. If you are a complainant, timely evidence collection can support both supportive measures and later findings, and if you are a respondent, thoughtful documentation of communications can contextualize events and address misunderstandings before they harden into adverse inferences.

When a criminal investigation is underway or anticipated, your legal team can coordinate with outside counsel and help you avoid statements that might be misconstrued. At the same time, the university process continues on its own timeline. Understanding how and when to request pauses, how to handle police contact, manage prosecutors, and how to protect records is part of a comprehensive strategy that the former prosecutors and criminal lawyers and Saland Law have implemented on many occasions.

What To Expect From NYU’s Title IX Offices

NYU’s Office of Equal Opportunity coordinates the University’s response to reports of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. Policy names and personnel titles can evolve, but the functions remain the same. OEO provides information about reporting options, facilitates supportive measures, and administers the grievance procedures that apply to students and employees. Understanding this structure helps set expectations about who will contact you, what notices you will receive, and how deadlines are calculated.

Because NYU is a complex institution with multiple schools and programs, jurisdictional details matter. For example, an allegation that arises in a study abroad program may fall outside Title IX jurisdiction if the conduct occurred outside the United States, even though NYU could still address it under other policies. Conversely, an allegation tied to a campus-sponsored event in New York or another U.S. location is likely to fall squarely within Title IX’s scope. An experienced Title IX lawyer will quickly assess where your case sits and tailor your plan accordingly.

Practical Guidance Before You Act

Avoid public statements about the matter. Do not delete or edit messages. Do not contact witnesses without a plan. If you are under a no-contact directive, adhere to it strictly. If you are a complainant, consider the timing of medical care or counseling, and discuss with counsel whether and how records may later be used. If you are a respondent, do not try to “explain things” informally to administrators or the other party. Instead, work with your advisor to craft a response that preserves defenses while staying within NYU’s process. At bottom, under no circumstance should you speak to investigators and tell your story without the advice or and preparation from an attorney-advisor. As is the situation in a criminal court, what you say can and will be used against you.

Finally, prepare for the live hearing format. Even highly capable students and faculty find the hearing environment challenging. Practicing how to answer questions directly, how to correct small inaccuracies without sounding evasive, and how to sit with silence when your advisor is assessing whether to object or seek a relevance ruling can make an outsized difference. The same goes for complainants, who deserve preparation that centers their account while anticipating how credibility will be tested under NYU’s chosen evidentiary standard.

How Saland Law Builds Your Case

Because we advise both complainants and respondents, we understand how each side evaluates credibility and proof. No matter the side or party, corroboration and credibility is king. For complainants, we focus on documenting impact, securing supportive measures, developing a coherent chronology, and ensuring your voice is heard in a process that can feel opaque. We prepare you for investigative interviews and for cross-examination at a live hearing. We help you identify corroboration and address the affirmative consent framework with clarity.

For respondents, we begin with a calm, facts-first approach. That includes a full audit of communications, a realistic review of risk under the institution’s chosen standard of evidence, and disciplined preparation for cross-examination. We press for access to all evidence that is directly related to the allegations, enforce the presumption of nonresponsibility, and hold the institution to its procedural obligations, including the prohibition on single-investigator models and the requirement of impartial decision makers.

Talk To An NYU Title IX Lawyer Today

If you are involved in a Title IX matter at NYU, you do not have to go through it alone. Stated differently and more accurately, you shouldn’t go through it alone or ill prepared. Saland Law will move quickly to stabilize your situation, secure or challenge supportive measures as needed, and build the strongest possible record for investigation and hearing. The firm’s familiarity with both complainant and respondent strategies, combined with a precise command of the governing rules, allows us to protect your rights while pursuing practical solutions that keep your education and career on track.

Speak with Saland Law today to confidentially discuss your options, your risks, and your next best steps. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff, and whether the allegation involves sexual assault, dating violence, nonconsensual sexual contact, or other conduct under NYU policy, we bring measured advocacy and relentless preparation to your side.