If you are looking for an Appalachian State Title IX lawyer after receiving notice of a complaint, first identify the procedure named in that notice. App State posts a Title IX procedure and a separate discrimination and harassment procedure for student respondents. They give different time periods for reviewing a draft investigation report. This page explains the current publicly posted framework. It is general information only, not legal advice, and this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by Appalachian State University.
Which Policy or Procedure Applies to You
Appalachian State’s Office of Access & Opportunity policies page links Policy 110, the 2026–27 Title IX Resolution Procedures, and a separate 2026–27 Discrimination and Harassment Resolution Procedures for Student Respondents, among other policies and procedures. The two procedure PDFs list an August 20, 2026 update date, and Policy 110’s revision history shows August 17, 2026.
The fact that these documents are currently posted does not by itself tell you which version governed conduct alleged to have happened before these updates. The timing of the alleged conduct and the university’s written notice may matter to the applicable version and route. Do not assume a version based only on when you are reading this page. Confirm the applicable version with the Office of Access & Opportunity or with an advisor reviewing your actual notice.
There are different tracks depending on how the allegations are classified. Policy 110 §3.14 defines "Title IX Sexual Harassment" using specific conduct definitions and conditions about where it occurred, including a U.S. requirement. Under §4.4, Equal Opportunity performs a preliminary review and selects the applicable response. Under the Title IX procedure §3, EO must dismiss a formal complaint from that procedure if the alleged conduct would not meet Policy 110’s Title IX Sexual Harassment definition. Other university procedures may still address the allegations. That does not establish that the separate student discrimination and harassment route applies to every dismissed complaint. Do not infer your case’s route from a general description online, including this one.
Report Versus Formal Complaint
A report to the university is not automatically a Title IX formal complaint. Policy 110 §4.4 says Equal Opportunity conducts a preliminary review and may use different response options. A Title IX formal complaint is a signed document requesting the university to start a resolution process under the Title IX procedure §2.5. That process may involve an investigation or a voluntary restorative resolution, if available. The separate student discrimination and harassment procedure describes its own initiation and notice steps. If you are unsure what you received, read the document closely and ask Equal Opportunity to identify the route in writing.
Early Steps After Notice
If you receive written notice of allegations, do not ignore it and do not assume the deadlines will wait. Under the Title IX procedure, a respondent is entitled to receive written allegations and procedural notice before the process moves forward. This is also the point at which you should begin arranging an advisor of choice, discussed below, and start organizing any evidence or witness information relevant to the allegations.
Investigation and Evidence Review
Once an investigation is underway, both procedures involve evidence gathering and a draft investigation report. The timelines for responding to that draft report differ by track, and it is important not to mix them up.
- Under the Title IX Resolution Procedures, §4.1 gives each party 10 Days from receipt of the draft investigation report to comment and respond to the evidence.
- Under the Discrimination and Harassment Resolution Procedures for Student Respondents, §5 gives only 5 Days from receipt of the draft report to respond.
Both procedure PDFs define a capitalized Day as a business day when the university is in normal operation. These two response windows are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one could cost you time you cannot get back. Confirm which procedure applies to your notice before calendaring a deadline.
Advisor of Choice and the Hearing (Title IX Track)
Under the Title IX procedure §4, you may choose an advisor at your own expense to accompany you to Equal Opportunity meetings and interviews and to conduct cross-examination at the hearing. If you have not secured an advisor after the final investigative report is complete, Equal Opportunity will appoint one without charge to conduct cross-examination at the hearing. The university does not promise that its appointee will be an attorney or provide broader case representation. The separate student discrimination and harassment procedure instead describes an Advocate who may observe and advise but may not disrupt the process.
Several additional timing rules apply under Title IX §4.2:
- Hearing notice must be provided no fewer than 10 days before the hearing.
- Any objection to a hearing officer based on conflict of interest or bias must be raised within 2 Days of hearing notice.
- Parties are entitled to at least 10 Days to review the final report before the hearing occurs.
Note that the draft report review period (10 Days, under §4.1) and the final report review period (at least 10 Days, under §4.2) are separate stages tied to different documents. Do not treat them as the same deadline.
After the hearing, §5 states that hearing officers determine responsibility and recommend an outcome within 10 Days of the hearing. That timeframe is the university’s internal task, not something a respondent files or requests.
Supportive Measures
The Title IX procedure §2.10 defines supportive measures as non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized supports intended to preserve access or protect the parties’ safety. They are separate from a finding of responsibility. If you need a change to coursework, housing, or another arrangement, ask Equal Opportunity what support is available in your circumstances rather than assuming that a request determines the outcome.
Restorative Resolution Option
Both procedures describe a voluntary restorative resolution pathway, generally targeted for completion within 45 days after referral to a facilitator. This is a general target, not a promised resolution date or a deadline for the full investigation. The parties can withdraw from restorative resolution and resume or proceed with an investigation under the applicable procedure. Ask Equal Opportunity whether that option is available for the allegations in your notice. The Title IX procedure specifically excludes the option when an employee respondent is alleged to have engaged in Title IX Sexual Harassment directed at a student.
Appeals
Appeal rights differ depending on which track your case followed, and the language in the current Title IX procedure on this point is not entirely clear.
Under the Title IX procedure §6, a party may appeal a responsibility determination for an outcome-affecting procedural irregularity, new evidence that was not reasonably available and could affect the outcome, or investigator conflict of interest or bias that affected the outcome. The procedure also permits an appeal of a formal-complaint dismissal. It says appeals and responses must be submitted within five "days" of "receiving the issuance" of a dismissal or Notice of Outcome. The procedure defines capitalized Day as a business day, but this appeal sentence uses lower-case "days" and an unclear trigger. Do not calculate a deadline from this general page. Confirm the actual notice and counting rule directly with Equal Opportunity as soon as you receive either notice.
Under the separate Discrimination and Harassment Resolution Procedures for Student Respondents, §5 sends the final report to Student Conduct for the student disciplinary process, and §6 says the Code governs appeals. The Student Conduct webpage currently links a Code labeled 2025–26. Confirm the applicable Code for a 2026–27 matter before using its hearing or appeal rules. Do not import the Title IX hearing or appeal provisions into this track. A Title IX matter may also be referred to Student Conduct for outcomes after the Title IX determination, which does not erase the Title IX procedure’s separate appeal section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does receiving a report mean I am automatically facing a Title IX hearing?
No. Equal Opportunity conducts a preliminary review of a report under Policy 110 §4.4. The Title IX live-hearing procedure requires a formal complaint on that route, and another procedure may apply to allegations outside its definition. Check the written notice before assuming a hearing will occur.
Which procedure applies to my case?
That depends on the allegations, the timing of the alleged conduct, and how Equal Opportunity applies Policy 110 §3.14 and §4.4. Check the procedure identified in your written notice and confirm the version with the university.
How long do I have to respond to the draft investigation report?
It depends on the track: 10 Days under the Title IX procedure §4.1, or 5 Days under the Discrimination and Harassment Resolution Procedures for Student Respondents §5. Check your notice to see which procedure governs.
Do I need an attorney as my advisor?
Under the Title IX procedure, an advisor of choice does not have to be an attorney. If you have not secured one after the final investigative report is complete, Equal Opportunity appoints someone without charge to conduct cross-examination at the hearing. That person is not guaranteed to be an attorney. The separate student discrimination and harassment route has different Advocate rules.
How long do I have to appeal an outcome?
Under the Title IX procedure §6, the stated window is five "days" from "receiving the issuance" of the dismissal or Notice of Outcome, but the exact counting method is unclear from the text. Confirm the precise deadline and rule with Equal Opportunity immediately upon receiving the notice.
What if my notice names the separate student discrimination and harassment procedure?
If the university assigned the separate student discrimination and harassment route, that procedure sends the final report to Student Conduct and the Code governs appeals. Confirm which Code version applies. A Title IX case may also reach Student Conduct for outcomes after the Title IX hearing, while its own appeal provision remains in the Title IX procedure.
More guides for North Carolina schools: North Carolina Title IX lawyer.
Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information about publicly posted Appalachian State University policies and procedures. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Appalachian State University. Deadlines and procedural requirements can change and depend on the specific notice you received. Always confirm current deadlines, applicable policy versions, and procedural requirements directly with the Office of Access & Opportunity or Student Conduct.
Sources
- Office of Access & Opportunity: Policies & Procedures
- Policy 110: Discrimination and Harassment
- 2026–27 Title IX Resolution Procedures (PDF)
- 2026–27 Discrimination and Harassment Resolution Procedures for Student Respondents (PDF)
- Student Conduct: Current Webpage
- 2025–26 Student Conduct Code (PDF)
