Consent in Washington DC Title IX Cases

Allegations of sexual assault can ruin someone’s life. Incidents involving these accusations that occur on college and university campuses nationwide are typically far from clear-cut cases of sexual misconduct. The perennial “he said, she said” debate raises the issue of what legally constitutes consent in Washington DC Title IX cases.

Consent is a gray area in criminal prosecutions, which—along with the other procedural and constitutional protections of the accused—can result in a decreased likelihood of a criminal conviction. In Title IX proceedings, however, the burden of proof is much lower, which means that college administrators often interpret consent much differently. If you were accused of such an offense, a tenacious lawyer may be able to assist you in defending against these allegations of sexual misconduct based on a lack of consent.

Consent Policies and Title IX

Title IX policies at college and universities differ from one another, but many of them contain an expansive definition of what constitutes consent in sexual matters between students. For instance, these policies often require consent be:

• Informed and mutual for both parties involved
• Absent of force, coercion, duress, or intimidation

Likewise, many policies read that consent is neither indicated by silence or a lack of resistance, nor present when one party is substantially impaired, asleep, or unconscious. Individuals involved in sexual acts also can withdraw that consent at any time—or consent to one type of sexual activity but not another—according to many school Title IX policies. Moreover, being in a relationship with another does not establish consent to sexual activity, nor does prior approval of sexual activity.

Furthermore, consent in Washington DC Title IX cases often must be affirmative. As a result, students must explicitly agree to the sexual activity, either verbally or in writing, or by clear and unambiguous actions. The problem with this definition is that what may be straightforward consent to one person is not straightforward to another person.

Alcohol, Drugs, and Consent on College Campuses

The presence of impairment as a result of alcohol or drugs on the part of one or both parties often adds further confusion as to whether consent was present in an incident involving sexual activity. The party culture on many college and university campuses can make drinking to excess a regular activity for men and women. However, the line between tipsy and intoxicated is not always clear, and the amount of alcohol that individuals have consumed is not always indicative of impairment levels.

Sexual activity that occurs after one or both parties have consumed significant amounts of alcohol or drugs creates a higher potential for allegations of sexual misconduct, or sexual activity that happened without the consent of one party. Even if impairment did not necessarily impact consent, when parties regret or are ashamed of their behavior the next morning – or even weeks or months later – a complaint to school authorities very well may instigate a Title IX investigation.

A further issue that arises concerning Title IX cases and consent in Washington DC is the standard that universities use to measure the existence of consent. In criminal cases, the standard is objective or that of a reasonable person. In Title IX cases, however, the standard is far more subjective. Essentially, if the complaining parties indicate that they did not consent, then a Title IX investigator is likely to find a lack of consent.

Find Out More About DC Cases Involving Consent and Title IX

If you are a college student facing allegations of sexual misconduct, you have a lot at stake. Your reputation, your ability to earn a college degree, and your future career prospects might all be at risk. Establishing consent in Washington DC Title IX cases can be very complicated and difficult to handle, so consulting with legal counsel is likely to be to your benefit.

At their most extreme, Title IX proceedings involving accusations of sexual misconduct can result in expulsion from school and referral to law enforcement to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted. Having legal guidance throughout all of these proceedings can be crucial to achieving a positive outcome to the allegations against you.