An SIUE Title IX lawyer can help you read your Notice of Allegations, plan around the evidence windows, and prepare for advisor-led questioning.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville runs Title IX cases through the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access, and Title IX Coordination, known as EOA, under Policy 2C9 with companion procedure 3C8. The posted policy is dated August 1, 2024 and follows the 2020 federal Title IX regulations, with conduct outside that scope routed elsewhere. If you received a notice of allegations, that notice and the policy linked in it control your case. General background is at how do Title IX hearings work.
Intake: where an SIUE case begins
The process starts with a formal complaint, which is a written and signed complaint describing the facts, filed with the Title IX Coordinator. Only a complainant who is participating or attempting to participate in university programs or activities may file one.
After a formal complaint arrives, the coordinator runs an initial assessment, seeking to finish within ten business days. Cases meeting the four jurisdictional elements move forward under the Title IX process. Cases falling short are dismissed from the Title IX track with written reasons and a right to appeal, and they may be referred elsewhere. Early preparation notes are at after you have been accused.
The Notice of Allegations follows as soon as practicable, in most cases within ten business days after the assessment. It identifies the policy, the informal resolution option, the known parties, conduct, date, and location, the presumption of non-responsibility, advisor rights, and the coming evidence inspection. Separately, the policy provides that any person who, in bad faith, knowingly files a false complaint or provides materially false information is subject to disciplinary action. Supportive measures run alongside from the start, and they are non-disciplinary and non-punitive.
Two SIUE specifics matter early. Only the Title IX Coordinator may issue a mutual restriction on contact as an interim measure, and only where the available information indicates both that covered conduct may have occurred and that further conduct is likely without one. Separately, each side may request a one-time pause of up to five business days for good cause, granted or denied by the coordinator.
Investigation: how the record is built
The full process is to conclude promptly, generally no longer than ninety business days after the Notice of Allegations goes out, with extensions allowed for absent participants, parallel law enforcement activity, or language and disability accommodations. The university holds the burden of proof and of gathering evidence, and either side may sit out without shifting that burden. Medical records stay off limits without a waiver. Background on the build is at title-ix-investigation.
Both sides get an equal chance to present fact and expert witnesses plus inculpatory and exculpatory evidence. Before the investigation closes, the parties and their advisors receive all directly related evidence and have ten business days to respond in writing by email. Everyone with access must sign an agreement not to disseminate, photograph, or copy that evidence outside the process, and unrelated material is logged in a privilege log. The investigator then writes a report fairly summarizing the relevant evidence and circulates it at least ten business days before the hearing.
Confidential help is available without triggering a report. Students may speak with the Confidential Advisor through Metro East Every Survivor Counts at 618-397-0975, or with Counseling and Health Services in the lower level of the Student Success Center at 618-650-2842, plus free round the clock virtual care through TimelyCare. Police reports are separate, with SIUE Police at 618-650-3324 for non-emergencies.
Hearing and advisor: who asks the questions
No disciplinary sanction issues without a live hearing unless the matter resolves informally. Hearings may be in person or virtual with simultaneous sight and sound, all proceedings are recorded with the recording available for inspection, and the hearing body is either a single decision maker or a three member panel. New evidence is generally barred at the hearing, though the chair may admit material that was genuinely unavailable before and could affect the outcome. Related format notes are at title-ix-disciplinary-hearings.
Advisors carry the questioning. Each side may bring an advisor of choice, attorney or not, who otherwise does not speak except to cross-examine at the hearing. Parties never cross-examine themselves, and the university provides an advisor for that limited purpose at no charge if a side has none. Before any cross-examination question is answered, the chair determines whether the question is relevant. The hearing recording or transcript is available for review within ten business days. More on the role is at title-ix-advisor.
Sanctions and appeal
The decision maker applies the preponderance of the evidence standard, meaning more likely than not, and judges credibility on demeanor, plausibility, consistency, and corroboration rather than on party status. Absent extenuating circumstances the written determination arrives within fifteen business days of the hearing.
Student sanctions range from educational training and activity restrictions through probation, grade and transcript holds, suspension noted on the transcript as Disciplinary Suspension, expulsion with permanent notation, and degree revocation. Filing an appeal stays sanctions while supportive measures continue. Sanction effects are discussed further at consequences of a Title IX violation.
Each side may appeal a dismissal or a determination within five business days of notice on three grounds: procedural irregularity, new and previously unavailable evidence, or conflict of interest or bias. Appeals run no longer than five pages with attachments and are decided by the Vice Chancellor for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The written appeal decision arrives within twenty-one business days and may affirm, amend sanctions, remand, or reverse. Mechanics shared across schools are at title-ix-appeals.
One boundary deserves attention. Two sections of the policy give different cutoff dates. The Jurisdiction section says conduct must have occurred on or after August 1, 2020, while the Assessment section says on or after August 14, 2020. Conduct outside the education program or activity or outside the United States falls outside the Title IX track yet may still proceed under another policy. Confirm your track and cutoff date in writing at the start.
Respondent checklist for SIUE students
- Save your formal complaint, Notice of Allegations, and every scheduling message, and confirm in writing whether your matter runs under Policy 2C9.
- Preserve messages, photos, location records, and receipts, and list witnesses early with what each one saw.
- Choose an advisor before your first interview and calendar the five business day cap on advisor scheduling delays plus the one-time five business day pause.
- Answer both ten business day evidence windows in writing and sign the non-dissemination agreement before reviewing evidence.
- Honor any mutual restriction on contact exactly as written and object promptly in writing if it becomes unduly burdensome.
Speak with an SIUE Title IX lawyer
SIUE cases turn on the 2C9 screen, the ten business day evidence windows, and advisor-led questioning. Contact us to discuss your notice and what comes next.
FAQ
Where do I go if I am accused under Title IX at SIUE?
The EOA office runs the process. Confirm whether a signed formal complaint exists and get the Notice of Allegations.
Must there be a signed formal complaint first?
For the disciplinary track, yes. The complainant signs, or the coordinator signs where necessary.
Can I bring a lawyer?
You may choose any advisor for every stage. Only advisors cross-examine at the hearing, and SIUE supplies one for that purpose if you have none.
What must the university prove?
That a violation more likely than not occurred, with the burden of proof and evidence gathering on the university.
What sanctions do student respondents face?
Educational measures and restrictions through probation, suspension with transcript notation, and expulsion with permanent notation.
How do I appeal?
Submit a written appeal of no more than five pages to the coordinator within five business days stating the ground. Expect a decision within twenty-one business days.
Sources (checked 2026-09-22)
- Title IX Policy and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures 2C9 and 3C8: jurisdiction, formal complaint, investigation, hearing, sanctions, appeal
- Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination hub: EOA office role, reporting options, supports and resources
- Reporting to EOA: incident report forms, confidential reporting, additional reporting options
- Student Conduct Code 3C1: non-Title IX conduct track, advisor rights, hearings, appeal rights
Disclaimer
This page is general information only, not legal advice, and reading it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Policies change; confirm the current procedure text before acting.
