If you are a student looking for a South Carolina Title IX lawyer, this page links our guides to Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Each university runs its own process under its own policy documents. The written notice you receive, and the policy version it names, control your case.
How South Carolina universities handle Title IX cases
We have not found a shared rule that covers both schools. Each has its own policy, procedures and appeal route.
At Clemson, the Policy and Procedures Related to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence sends a qualifying Title IX formal complaint against a student to the Office of Community and Ethical Standards (OCES) under the Level I procedures of the Student Code of Conduct. A complaint dismissed for Title IX purposes may still go through OCES under other rules. At a Level I Administrative Hearing, each party must have an advisor present, and the advisor asks the cross-examination questions.
At the University of South Carolina, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX handles complaints on the Columbia campus under its Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct Resolution Procedures. Those procedures are read with the Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct (CR 1.00) and the Student Code of Conduct (STAF 6.26). Complaints are sorted into Title IX and civil rights tracks. Only sexual misconduct complaints go to a live hearing, which is held before a single Resolution Officer. Advisors, not the parties, question the other side.
South Carolina university guides
- Clemson University: Clemson’s policy, threshold process and Student Code carry different revision dates, so check which version your notice names. There are three separate appeal clocks. The Initial Title IX Formal Complaint Process allows three business days after receiving the Notice of the Title IX Threshold Decision. The Student Code allows five business days from receipt of an Administrative Hearing Board decision to appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs or designee. In Title IX cases, it allows five business days from the Vice President’s decision to appeal to the President or designee.
- University of South Carolina: Covers the Columbia campus process. Under the resolution procedures, an appeal of a responsibility determination goes in writing to the Director of Investigations and Resolutions within five business days after the Notice of Outcome is issued. A dismissal appeal goes to the same Director within five business days of the dismissal.
Common questions
Do Clemson and the University of South Carolina follow the same policy?
No. A Clemson Level I case goes to an Administrative Hearing Board, while a South Carolina sexual misconduct hearing is held before a single Resolution Officer.
Is the appeal deadline the same at both schools?
No. Clemson has three separate appeal stages, each with its own trigger. South Carolina uses one appeal route for responsibility and dismissal decisions. Use the deadline and recipient stated in your own decision letter.
What should I check first in my notice?
Look for the policy and procedure it names, which track your case is on (Title IX Level I or another OCES route at Clemson; Title IX or civil rights at South Carolina), and any deadline it states. At Clemson, the version that applies can depend on the incident date and the notice date. At South Carolina, the definitions come from the policy in effect when the conduct occurred.
Talk to a South Carolina Title IX lawyer
If you have received a notice from one of these schools, you can contact us to talk about the process.
Disclaimer
This page is general information, not legal advice. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any university named here. Reading this page or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. University policies and procedures change. The notice you receive and the policy version it names control your case, so check your notice.
