If you are a Middle Tennessee State University student searching for an MTSU Title IX lawyer after receiving a notice of a Title IX or sex-based misconduct complaint, first identify which policy the university has named. This page explains the current published procedures, their separate deadline triggers, and questions to confirm from your own notice. It is general information for students and families.
Which Policy Applies to Your Case
MTSU currently maintains two separate policies that can apply to sex-based misconduct allegations, and figuring out which one governs your case matters a great deal, because the procedures and deadlines are not identical.
Policy 29, Title IX Compliance, applies to alleged Title IX sexual harassment that falls within the scope defined by the policy itself, generally, conduct connected to MTSU’s education programs or activities as the policy describes. Policy 29 has its own formal-complaint, investigation, hearing, and appeal procedures, discussed below.
Policy 27, Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment Based on Sex, covers sex-based matters that fall outside Policy 29’s scope. Policy 27 has its own separate procedures, which are not addressed on this page.
Notably, Policy 540, Student Conduct, states that sexual-misconduct disciplinary matters are handled under Policy 27, Policy 29, and their accompanying rules, not under Policy 540’s ordinary Section VIII disciplinary process. This means a student respondent should not assume that the general student conduct process applies once a sex-based complaint is involved.
Because the track that applies depends on the specific written charge and the facts of the incident, it is important to read the actual notice you received from MTSU carefully, and to confirm with the Title IX office or a lawyer which policy and procedure track applies to you before assuming anything about timing or process.
A note on pending changes: MTSU’s pending policies index currently lists proposed revisions to both Policy 27 and Policy 29, with a public comment deadline of October 21, 2026. As of this writing, those are proposals only. They are not the operative policy. The version that applies to you can depend on when the incident happened and the date of your notice. Use the policy and version named in your own notice, and confirm it with the Title IX office, especially if your case is active near or after that date.
Report vs. Formal Complaint
Under Policy 29, there is a difference between simply reporting conduct to the university and filing a formal complaint that triggers the investigation and hearing process described in the policy. The MTSU Title IX office page distinguishes reporting involving students from reporting involving employees, and lists the current campus contacts for making a report or asking questions about the process. If you are unsure whether what you received is a report, a notice of investigation, or a formal complaint, that distinction affects what deadlines, if any, are currently running against you.
Early Steps After Receiving Notice
If you have received written notice that a formal complaint has been filed against you, do not ignore it and do not wait to seek guidance. Early steps typically include:
- Reading the notice carefully to identify which policy (29 or 27) is cited and what the allegations are.
- Identifying an advisor of choice. Under Policy 29, your advisor may be an attorney.
- Reviewing what supportive measures may be available to you (see below).
- Beginning to organize any evidence, communications, or witness information relevant to the allegations.
Investigation and Evidence Under Policy 29
Policy 29’s Section VI describes the formal-complaint route, including an overall 120-day target from filing of the formal complaint, excluding appeal and time spent attempting informal resolution. That target is a guidepost only. The policy allows extensions for good cause, so it should not be treated as a guaranteed timeline.
Section X of Policy 29 addresses evidence. Once the investigator compiles evidence directly related to the allegations, each party and their advisor has ten business days to submit a written response to that evidence before the investigator finalizes the investigative report.
After the final investigative report is completed, it must be sent to the parties at least ten days before the hearing. The policy uses the word "days" here without specifying business days, so do not assume it means business days or count it from the evidence-review notice.
The live hearing itself must occur at least ten days after the investigative report is completed and distributed to the parties, subject to the policy’s own extension provisions.
Advisor and Hearing
Under Policy 29, you are entitled to an advisor of choice, and that advisor may be an attorney. At the hearing, your advisor, not you personally, asks the other party and witnesses relevant cross-examination questions. If you arrive at the hearing without an advisor, MTSU will provide one to perform that questioning function for you at no charge.
The Hearing Officer decides the case using the preponderance of the evidence standard (whether it is more likely than not that the conduct occurred) and issues a written determination to both parties.
Supportive Measures
Separate from the disciplinary process itself, supportive measures may be available to either party while a matter is pending, regardless of whether a formal complaint has been filed. Because the scope and availability of supportive measures depends on individual circumstances, contact the MTSU Title IX office directly to ask what is currently available in your situation.
Appeals Under Policy 29
Section XII of Policy 29 allows either party to appeal a responsibility determination or a formal-complaint dismissal. This appeal has its own specific and separate deadlines:
- A written appeal must reach the Title IX Coordinator within ten business days of the date of the determination or dismissal being appealed. The appeal must include supporting facts and identify a permitted ground for appeal under the policy.
- The other party then has ten business days after notice of the appeal to submit a response.
- The President or a designee decides the appeal.
These appeal deadlines belong specifically to Policy 29’s Title IX track. They should not be confused with any appeal deadlines that might apply under Policy 27 or under Policy 540’s ordinary student conduct process, since those are governed by different provisions. For example, Policy 27, Section VII, gives seven business days from the date the decision maker’s determination is sent to the parties’ University email addresses. Use the appeal deadline stated in your own notice or written determination, and confirm it with the Title IX office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use the advisor MTSU offers, or can I bring my own?
Policy 29 allows you to choose your own advisor, including an attorney, for the formal-complaint and hearing process. If you don’t have one at the hearing, MTSU will provide one to conduct cross-examination on your behalf.
How long do I have to respond to the evidence gathered in the investigation?
Under Policy 29’s Section X, you and your advisor have ten business days to submit a written response to directly related evidence before the investigator finalizes the report.
How much notice will I get before the hearing?
The final investigative report must be sent to both parties at least ten days before the hearing takes place, and the hearing itself must occur at least ten days after the report is completed and distributed, subject to any extension permitted under the policy.
What if I disagree with the outcome?
You may appeal a responsibility determination or a dismissal under Policy 29’s Section XII. Your written appeal must reach the Title IX Coordinator within ten business days of the date of that determination or dismissal.
Does the same process apply if my case is handled under Policy 27 instead?
No. Policy 27 covers sex-based matters outside Policy 29’s scope and has its own separate procedures and deadlines, which differ from what is described on this page.
Are the proposed policy changes listed on MTSU’s pending policies page already in effect?
No. As of this writing, those revisions to Policy 27 and Policy 29 are proposals with an October 21, 2026 comment deadline. They are not the current operative rules.
More guides for Tennessee schools: Tennessee Title IX lawyer.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Middle Tennessee State University. Procedures and deadlines described here are based on published MTSU policy documents; always confirm current policy text and your specific written notice before taking any action or missing a deadline.
