A UMass Dartmouth Title IX lawyer can help you read your written notice, answer both evidence windows, and prepare for cross-examination before the hearing panel.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth runs Title IX cases through its Office of Civil Rights under a Title IX Grievance Procedure citing both the federal Title IX regulations and Massachusetts law, namely M.G.L. c. 6 sections 168D and 168E. Conduct outside that procedure can still proceed under the Student Code of Conduct or other policies. Do not assume procedures from other UMass campuses apply here, since this guide uses Dartmouth pages only. General background is at how do Title IX hearings work.
Intake: where a Dartmouth case begins
Reports may reach the Title IX Coordinator verbally, in writing, or electronically, including through the online complaint form, but officials with authority and responsible employees must forward reports with names and facts and cannot promise confidentiality. Only confidential employees can offer that protection. Anonymous online reports are possible but are not formal complaints and limit the response. Early preparation notes are at after you have been accused.
A formal complaint must be written and signed, physically or electronically, and submitted to the Title IX Coordinator in person, by mail, by email, or through the online form. The complainant must be participating or attempting to participate in a university program or activity, and the coordinator may also sign a complaint as the regulations allow.
The written notice to known parties covers the procedure and any informal resolution process, the allegations with known identities, conduct, date, and location, the presumption of non-responsibility, advisor rights with evidence inspection, the ban on false statements, and any later added allegations. The procedure applies to conduct in the United States on university owned or controlled property, including recognized student organization property, or where the university exercises substantial control over both the respondent and the context.
Investigation: how the record is built
The investigator works under the preponderance standard, described as More Likely Than Not, and sends each side the procedure plus the written allegations before any interview. The investigator runs a thorough and fair review under the preponderance of the evidence (More Likely Than Not) standard, and either side may gather and present relevant evidence. After receiving the gathered evidence, each side and their advisor has ten calendar days to submit a written response. The investigator then finalizes a report fairly summarizing the relevant evidence and sends it out, with another ten calendar day response round, before the matter goes to the panel. Background on the build is at title-ix-investigation.
Both sides may have an advisor of choice at every stage, and advisors may review the evidence, the report, and other communications but may not speak for the party during the investigation. Because advisors see education records, a FERPA consent limiting use to this procedure may be needed. Parties get written notice of every interview and meeting with enough time to prepare.
Supportive measures are available to either side before or after filing, or with no complaint at all, and they are non-disciplinary, non-punitive, free, and confidential where that does not block delivery. Emergency removal is possible where the party poses an immediate threat to physical health or safety, with a written description and a right to be heard by contacting the coordinator. Confidential campus options include the Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality at 508-910-6567, the Counseling Center at 508-999-8650, and Health Services at 508-999-8982. Off campus, the New Bedford Women Center runs a 24 hour hotline at 508-999-6636, and SANE exams are available free of charge at area hospitals.
Hearing and advisor: who asks the questions
After the second ten calendar day round, the matter goes to a panel of three trained hearing officers screened for bias and conflicts. The panelists must let each advisor ask the other side and the witnesses all relevant questions and follow-ups, including credibility challenges, directly, orally, and in real time, never the party personally. The panel chair rules on relevance before each answer and explains exclusions. Either side may ask for the live hearing to occur virtually. The hearing is recorded and the recording is available for supervised review on request, though parties may not obtain a copy. Related format notes are at title-ix-disciplinary-hearings.
Advisors who cannot meet expectations for availability, decorum, and rulings are replaced by the university, and a party arriving without an advisor is furnished one. Knowingly filing a false complaint, giving false information, or pressuring a participant can draw sanctions. More on the role is at title-ix-advisor.
Sanctions and appeal
After the hearing the panelists prepare a simultaneous written decision within seven business days, identifying the allegations, steps, findings, policy application, result with sanctions and remedies, and appeal rights. Findings rest on the preponderance standard with credibility never based on party status. Sanction effects are discussed further at consequences of a Title IX violation.
Panelists weigh weapon use and aggravating considerations, impact on the complainant, prior history and current sanction status, community impact, and any other mitigating or aggravating circumstances. Student sanctions run from program exclusion and warning through housing and university probation, removal from housing, suspension, and dismissal.
Either side may appeal within five calendar days of the decision on three grounds: procedural irregularity, new and previously unavailable evidence, or conflict of interest or bias. The appeal must be written and signed to the coordinator, who assigns a trained appeal officer and collects any response within five calendar days. The appeal officer issues a simultaneous written decision, and that decision is final. Mechanics shared across schools are at title-ix-appeals.
Informal resolution is available after filing and before the determination where both sides agree in writing and the coordinator finds it appropriate, except never where an employee allegedly harassed a student. Either side may withdraw before agreeing, and an agreed outcome ends the complaint with a signed agreement.
Respondent checklist for UMass Dartmouth students
- Save your written notice, every scheduling message, and every evidence link, and confirm in writing which procedure your matter runs under.
- Preserve messages, photos, location records, and receipts, and list witnesses early.
- Choose an advisor before your first interview and sign any needed FERPA consent.
- Answer both ten calendar day evidence windows in writing and keep copies of everything submitted.
- If you consider informal resolution, get the exact outcome terms in writing first, since agreement ends the formal complaint.
Speak with a UMass Dartmouth Title IX lawyer
Dartmouth cases turn on the Office of Civil Rights track, the two ten calendar day windows, and advisor questioning before the panel. Contact us to discuss your notice.
FAQ
Where do I go if I am accused under Title IX at UMass Dartmouth?
The Office of Civil Rights at 508-999-8810 runs the process. Confirm whether a signed formal complaint exists and get the written notice.
Must there be a signed formal complaint first?
For the disciplinary track, yes. The complainant signs, or the coordinator signs as the regulations allow.
Can I bring a lawyer?
You may choose any advisor for every stage. Only advisors question the other side at the hearing, and the university furnishes one for cross-examination if you have none.
What must the university prove?
That a violation more likely than not occurred. The investigator applies the preponderance of the evidence (More Likely Than Not) standard, and either side may gather and present relevant evidence.
What sanctions do student respondents face?
Program exclusion and privilege loss through warning, probation, removal from housing, suspension, and dismissal.
How do I appeal?
Submit a written and signed appeal to the coordinator within five calendar days stating the ground. The other side gets five calendar days to respond before the final written decision.
Sources (checked 2026-09-22)
- Title IX Grievance Procedure: jurisdiction, formal complaint, investigation, hearing, sanctions, appeal, informal resolution
- Title IX hub: Office of Civil Rights role, policy links, resource pages
- Office of Civil Rights hub: office structure, contact routes, complaint paths
- Advisors page: advisor role and hearing preparation
- Filing a complaint page: complaint routes and intake contacts
- Student Code of Conduct: non-Title IX conduct track, rights, hearings, sanctions
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 the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Policies change; confirm the current procedure text before acting.
