Protecting your Education – What You Need to Know about Title IX and Hazing as Students Return to School

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Protecting Your Education: What You Need to Know About Title IX and Hazing as Students Return to School

College students across the country are heading back to campus this month. For many, the first few weeks of the semester will mean new roommates, new classes, parties, athletic teams, fraternities and sororities, and other student organizations. Unfortunately, the new school year also means Title IX investigations, student conduct proceedings, and hazing allegations.

These cases often begin with something that happened in a matter of minutes. What follows can affect a student’s education, reputation, athletic career, and future long after the semester ends. Students and parents should understand how schools address allegations of misconduct, their legal rights, and ways to protect students involved.

Title IX

Complaints of sexual misconduct on campuses are governed by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a discrimination law designed to ensure equal opportunity in educational settings regardless of sex. Title IX mandates that colleges investigate these types of claims and undertake steps to curtail gender-based misconduct on campus.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the 2020 Title IX Regulations are again in effect. These regulations contain significant procedural protections in formal Title IX cases, particularly at colleges and universities. Among other things, they provide for notice of the allegations, access to evidence, an opportunity to respond to that evidence, and, in postsecondary cases, a live hearing at which the parties’ advisors may conduct cross-examination.

But students should not assume that every allegation involving sex, dating, or sexual activity will necessarily be handled through a school’s formal Title IX process. Colleges and universities frequently maintain separate student conduct codes, sexual misconduct policies, housing rules, athletic department policies, and fraternity and sorority regulations. Conduct that falls outside the technical definition or jurisdiction of Title IX may still result in a school investigation and disciplinary proceeding.

Whether you are accused of, or subjected to sexual misconduct, it is critical to understand how a report may get made and the process once the report is made.

A student may first learn about an allegation through an email from a Title IX coordinator, dean of students, student conduct office, coach, resident director, or campus police. That initial communication can feel informal. It is not. What a student says during any step of the process can and will be used against them.

Before participating in an interview or submitting a written statement, it is critical that the student understands their rights, including knowing:

• What conduct is being alleged;
• Whether the student is considered a complainant, respondent, or witness;
• What school policy applies;
• Whether there is a Title IX investigation, a student conduct investigation, or both;
• Whether law enforcement is involved; and
• What rights the school’s policies provide.

Often times, these processes can be daunting, and statements students make without understanding their rights or having an advisor can lead to serious consequences, such as a complaint not being taken seriously for complainants, or dismissal from the university for respondents.

Whether you are a victim of sexual misconduct or the accused, it is important that your student has a knowledgeable advisor to lead them through this process.

Hazing

The beginning of the school year also marks the beginning of recruitment, pledging, team activities, and initiation periods for many campus organizations. Hazing allegations are no longer limited to Greek life.

In Ohio, hazing includes conduct connected with initiation into, affiliation with, or continued membership in an organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of mental or physical harm. Ohio law specifically addresses hazing involving coerced consumption of alcohol or drugs, and serious cases can result in felony charges. Ohio law also imposes reporting obligations on certain individuals who become aware of hazing.

Importantly, conduct need not be dangerous, or even embarrassing, to be considered hazing. In our experience, we have seen colleges and universities bring hazing allegations if members were asked to clean up after events or drive members around campus.

The federal government has now increased the attention colleges must give the issue as well. The Stop Campus Hazing Act, enacted in December 2024, amended federal campus safety law to require colleges and universities to collect and disclose information about hazing incidents and to provide greater transparency concerning organizations found responsible for hazing.

For students, the practical result is simple: schools have more reason than ever to investigate hazing reports aggressively.

What to Do?

Early involvement allows counsel to review the school’s policies, understand the facts, preserve evidence, identify witnesses, prepare a student for interviews, address procedural problems as they occur, and develop a strategy before the investigative record has been completed.

For students making a report, early advice can also be important. Complainants should understand the school’s procedures, available supportive measures, the evidence that may be relevant, and what to expect during an investigation and hearing.

These proceedings can be difficult for everyone involved. Knowing the rules from the beginning can make a significant difference.

Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant Represents Students Nationwide

The attorneys at Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, L.L.C. have represented students, faculty members, coaches, and others in Title IX and student disciplinary proceedings at colleges and universities across the country.

Our attorneys also have extensive experience handling criminal investigations and prosecutions, an important consideration when allegations of sexual misconduct or hazing create potential exposure both on campus and in the criminal justice system.

If you or your child has received notice of a Title IX investigation, student conduct proceeding, or hazing investigation, do not wait until a hearing has been scheduled to understand your rights and to protect your future.

Contact Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, L.L.C. at 888-694-4645 for a free initial consultation.

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