Sac State Title IX Lawyer: Sacramento State University Defense

If you are a Sac State student, or the parent of one, and the campus Title IX or civil rights office has contacted you about a complaint against you, this page is for you. It covers what is specific to Sacramento State, whether you are looking for a Sac State Title IX lawyer or just trying to understand which office is which. It applies to complaints of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, stalking, and other discrimination, harassment or retaliation. The systemwide CSU process is explained in full on the CSU Title IX lawyer page, and this page does not repeat it.

The Offices at Sac State That Handle These Cases

Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO)

The campus office is the Office for Equal Opportunity, called OEO. It sits in the Division of People & Climate and is located in Del Norte Hall 2005. One OEO page also calls it the University’s Title IX and Civil Rights Office in a login-portal note, and some pages spell it Office of Equal Opportunity. OEO says it reviews and investigates two kinds of matters: Title IX matters (sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence, stalking) and DHR matters (discrimination, harassment and retaliation tied to a protected status). It also trains the campus and manages compliance requirements.

The Sac State pages list the Title IX Coordinator under different titles (Assistant Vice President, Director). They also list deputy coordinators, including OEO investigators and, on the About Title IX page, the Interim Director of Student Conduct.

The sources do not call OEO confidential, and they do not call it neutral. They describe it as the office that receives reports and investigates them. OEO is not on Sac State’s list of confidential on-campus resources.

Office of Student Conduct (OSC)

The Office of Student Conduct sits in Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence. It administers the CSU student disciplinary process at Sac State and reviews alleged student misconduct before deciding whether the University will pursue discipline. On sexual violence and harassment, its page says OEO “is responsible for initial investigations into student Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking”. OSC also says university discipline can run at the same time as civil or criminal actions, and that it is a separate process from the residence hall disciplinary system.

How a Matter Starts at Sac State

Sac State tells people to report sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence, and stalking to OEO. The campus pages describe these routes:

• An online complaint form and the DHR and Title IX online reporting tool.
• A Case IQ portal for people who already have an account from an earlier report.
• Email to OEO, which the Executive Orders and Complaint Forms FAQ lists as another way to submit a complaint.
• Employees, other than those designated confidential, who must report to OEO.
• OSC’s student conduct form for possible conduct code violations, although OSC sends sexual violence and harassment concerns to OEO.

What the Process After a Report Page Says

The Process After a Report page says some reports “do not lead to a formal process”. OEO decides next steps based on several factors, including whether the complaint falls within the policy scope, the complainant’s wishes, and potential safety concerns for the campus. The page says that if a complaint goes forward, an investigator walks the complaining student through the process and OEO will similarly explain the process to the person accused. It also says each of the three formal processes provides for an investigation or an early or informal resolution, and that depending on the process there may be a live hearing after the investigation.

What the Formal Resolution Process Flowchart Says

OEO’s Formal Resolution Process flowchart for the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy (the file name is dated 2026.01.15) lists these steps:

• Notice of Investigation: issued to both parties within 10 working days of OEO receiving the Complaint. It outlines the allegations, potential policy violations, the investigation process, and the rights of both parties.
• Investigation: both parties may take part in interviews and share relevant information.
• Preliminary Investigation Report: both parties may review and respond to the report and the evidence.
• Final Investigation Report: issued to both parties within 100 working days of the Notice of Investigation. In hearing cases it gives only a summary of the relevant facts and no findings. In non-hearing cases it includes the findings, and if responsibility is found, OEO forwards it to the appropriate department for discipline or sanctions.
• Hearing: typically held via Zoom. Parties question the other party and witnesses through their Advisor in Track 1, or through the Hearing Officer in Track 2.
• Support: OEO provides Supportive Measures to both parties and monthly status updates. Parties may have an Advisor of their choice.

This is a campus summary. If your own notice or the current CSU documents differ from it, your notice and the current CSU documents control.

Sac State Documents and Older Names You May See

• Formal Resolution Process flowchart (file dated 2026.01.15). OEO’s current flowchart of the hearing and non-hearing processes, summarized above.
• Seven-Step Process PDF (dated July 15, 2023). OEO posts it through the Title IX Assessment page. It is older than the August 2024 Policy and the March 2025 Procedures, and it points readers to the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy. Treat its general statements, including those on appeals, as a summary only.
• Implementation Plan progress reports. The Assessment page lists November 2024 and June 2025 progress reports on the campus response to the Cozen O’Connor assessment.
• Executive Orders and Complaint Forms FAQ. The title still uses the older Executive Orders term. The FAQ and the Student Conduct Policies page link older PolicyStat numbers (10926024, 12891658, and 8453518 for the Student Conduct Process). When we checked on October 3, 2026, these redirected to the current CSU documents.
• Student Conduct Policies page. It lists the CSU Interim Nondiscrimination Policy and the CSU Student Conduct Process, the current names.
• Process After a Report page. It refers readers to a separate page on new federal Title IX regulations. This page does not describe those rules.

Some campus pages are older than the current CSU documents. Your own notice and the current CSU documents control over any campus page.

Campus Procedures and Rules the Sac State Pages State

Sac State publishes different rules depending on which kind of case you are in. Check your notice to see which process applies to you.

General student conduct cases (Office of Student Conduct)

The Office of Student Conduct (OSC) Students page says the following for general student conduct cases:

• Student respondents may bring an advisor, such as a friend or family member.
• Attorneys may not be permitted to serve as advisors, except under certain circumstances. Meeting requests from OSC typically indicate whether an attorney may advise.
• Students must speak for themselves in the conduct process.
• A student may request a University-provided Advisor, and must notify the Student Conduct Administrator no later than five days before the meeting.
• Each campus president determines by campus directive whether attorneys may be present, excluding cases involving the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy. The page adds that attorneys may serve as Advisors where criminal charges are pending on the same facts or where expulsion is a potential sanction.
• Students who fail to respond to a Notice of Conference waive the chance to meet, and holds may be placed on registration, transcripts, and graduation.

Title IX and Nondiscrimination Policy cases (OEO): Advisor

The Process After a Report page says you have the right to have “an advisor of your choice who can speak with you about the case and accompany you to meetings/hearings”. That page does not say whether an advisor may be an attorney. Under the CSU Procedures, you may have one Advisor of your choice, who may be an attorney. The Advisor may observe and consult with you but may not answer questions about the subject matter of the investigation for you. The OSC attorney rules above exclude these cases.

Title IX and Nondiscrimination Policy cases (OEO): Investigation timing

The OEO Seven-Step PDF (dated 7.15.23) says OEO has “approximately 100 working days” to complete a formal investigation. The CSU Procedures set 100 Working Days from the Notice of Investigation for the final investigation report, extendable for good cause. If the two differ, your notice and the current CSU documents control.

Title IX and Nondiscrimination Policy cases (OEO): Hearings and appeals

The Seven-Step PDF says OEO staff facilitate hearings and that any party has the right to appeal. The CSU rules for the type of hearing in your case, including who asks the questions, are in the CSU Procedures. On appeals, Addendum B decides who may appeal, not the campus PDF. Where the PDF differs, your notice and the current CSU documents control.

Support for Respondents at Sac State

Sac State’s June 2025 Implementation Plan lists Task 8, to identify a sustainable model to provide respondent support services, as Not Started. Its note says “The university currently does not have the resources to implement this recommendation.” That is what the June 2025 plan says.

Other resources the Sac State pages describe:

• Counseling at The WELL (Student Health and Counseling Services). Sac State describes counseling as confidential for students. The sources do not describe it as advice about your case.
• ASI legal advice. The Title IX support page says “ASI provides free legal advice, without representation, to registered Sac State students.” That means advice only, not a lawyer who represents you in the process.
• OEO supportive measures. OEO says it provides Supportive Measures to people affected by these matters. The page does not say who receives them in a respondent’s case.

Two services are for complainants only. The confidential on-campus advocate, provided through WEAVE, helps survivors with their rights and options, reporting, counseling, medical care and legal information. Sac State says it was the first of the 23 CSU campuses to hire a dedicated Confidential Advocate, in October 2000. The Family Justice Center and the community crisis lines on the campus list are also aimed at people who experienced violence.

More background is in our California Title IX defense attorney overview, our Title IX investigation guide and our Title IX appeals guide.

The CSU Process in Brief

The Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy applies to alleged misconduct on or after August 1, 2024, and the Student Respondent Procedures apply to complaints filed on or after March 4, 2025, so your notice and its dates control which version governs your case. Under the Procedures the opening notice is a Notice of Investigation, while Track 1 uses a notice of allegations that must reach you at least 5 Working Days before an interview. There are three tracks: Track 1 is for conduct that meets the Policy’s Title IX definition of Sexual Harassment, occurred in the United States and occurred in a university education program or activity, and it has a live hearing. Track 2 covers sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual exploitation and stalking that do not fit Track 1, and it requires a live hearing. Track 3 covers other discrimination, harassment and retaliation complaints, has no hearing, and ends with the investigator’s final determination in a Notice of Investigation Outcome. The parties get 10 Working Days to review the evidence with the preliminary investigation report (at least 10 in Track 1), and the standard of proof is preponderance of the evidence. You may have one Advisor, who may be an attorney, and sanctions are decided by the campus president or designee under the CSU Student Conduct Process. An appeal goes to the Civil Rights Appeals Unit within 10 Working Days after the Notice of Investigation Outcome or Final Decision (in Track 1, after the date of the decision letter), and either party may appeal in sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking complaints, while only the non-prevailing party may appeal in discrimination, harassment, prohibited consensual relationship or retaliation complaints. The full process is on our CSU Title IX lawyer page.

Official Sac State Title IX Resources

• Sac State Title IX (We Care. We Will Help.)
• Sac State Office for Equal Opportunity
• Sac State: What is the Process After a Report?
• Sac State Office of Student Conduct
• Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy (with Track 1 attachment)
• Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy: Student Respondent Procedures (with Addenda A and B)

Last verified: October 2026

Frequently Asked Questions About Sac State Title IX Cases

Which office will contact me about a complaint?

For sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence and stalking by students, OSC says OEO handles the initial investigation. OEO also handles discrimination, harassment and retaliation matters. OSC may be involved in the student disciplinary process, so read your notice to see which office sent it.

Is OEO confidential?

Do not assume so. The sources describe OEO as the office that receives reports and investigates them, and it is not on Sac State’s list of confidential on-campus resources. That list names the WEAVE Confidential Campus Advocate, The WELL counseling services, and the Employee Assistance Program for employees.

Can a lawyer be my advisor at Sac State?

Under the CSU Procedures you may have one Advisor of your choice, who may be an attorney. The Advisor may observe and consult with you but may not answer questions about the subject matter of the investigation for you. The Office of Student Conduct’s Students page says campus attorney rules exclude cases involving the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy.

Is there free advisor or respondent support at Sac State?

The June 2025 Implementation Plan lists a model for respondent support services as Not Started, and the campus pages do not describe a dedicated respondent service. ASI offers free legal advice without representation to registered students, and The WELL offers confidential counseling. In a Track 1 hearing, the CSU rules say the campus provides a hearing advisor if you do not have one.

How long will the investigation take?

The OEO Seven-Step PDF states a figure of approximately 100 working days for formal investigations. The CSU Procedures set 100 Working Days from the Notice of Investigation for the final investigation report, and that period can be extended for good cause. Neither document says how long any particular case will take.

How long do I have to appeal?

Under Addendum B, you have 10 Working Days after the Notice of Investigation Outcome (non-hearing cases) or the Final Decision (hearing cases). In Track 1 the deadline runs from the date of the decision letter. The appeal goes to the Civil Rights Appeals Unit, and who may appeal depends on the type of complaint, as summarized above.