The Title IX Center at the law firm of Farrow-Gillespie Heath Witter LLP provides legal consultation and representation in Title IX and related cases. Led by attorney Patricia Davis, Ph.D., the Center assists students and faculty to pursue Title IX claims at every stage — from the initial process with the institution in question up to and including a lawsuit in the federal courts. The Center also conducts pre-litigation negotiations, in cases in which a client prefers to avoid a lawsuit if possible.
Our attorneys and staff are sensitive to the trauma that a client has likely faced before coming to the Center. We can assist only with the legal aspects of a claim, but we attempt to do so with a commitment to minimize further trauma that the legal system can sometimes impose.
For more information, or to schedule a consultation with Patricia Davis, please contact us.
Detroit editorial sends message to MSU, Uber, Wells Fargo
/0 Comments/in Title IX in the News /by Liza Farrow-GillespieA recent editorial in Crain’s Detroit Business sends a pointed message to leadership of businesses and institutions that without commitment at the top, an entity’s compliance with sexual harassment and sexual assault prohibitions is likely to fail. The author discusses the downfalls and disconnects when an institution compliance officer or CEO still wrongfully believes it is […]
Dallas Morning News follows A&M Title IX claims
/in Title IX in the News /by Liza Farrow-GillespieThe Dallas Morning News is reporting closely on the Twelfth Woman movement at Texas A&M. Some of the most recent coverage includes the following: Sexual assault survivors say that Texas A&M chose its brand over justice. Texas A&M swimmer found responsible of sexual assault files Title IX lawsuit against university. Texas A&M student says athlete […]
What is Title IX?
/in About Title IX /by Liza Farrow-GillespieTitle IX is a federal law that protects individuals from discrimination based on sex at educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) is responsible for enforcing Title IX. Under Title IX, “[n]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded […]
Patricia Davis on Title IX
/in Title IX in the News /by Liza Farrow-GillespieThe Orlando Sentinel has quoted Dr. Patricia Davis, a Title IX attorney, in an article on legal application of Title IX.
Exploring the nature and proof of sexual harassment allegations
/in Title IX in the News /by Patricia DavisAcademic Matters, OCUFA’s journal of higher education, has published a thought-provoking article on the nature and proof of campus sexual harassment allegations. False Allegations of Sexual Harassment: Misunderstandings and Realities Attorney Patricia Davis, Ph.D., of Farrow-Gillespie & Heath LLP represents students and faculty in Title IX hearings, investigations, and litigation. For more information, contact Dr. […]
Obama administration issues last set of guidelines for campus sexual assault
/in Title IX in the News /by Liza Farrow-GillespieReprinted from the Minnesota Daily (Thursday, January 26) As the Barack Obama administration neared its end, it issued one last set of guidelines for higher education administrators to consider in addressing sexual assault. The letter — part of the Obama administration’s push for colleges and universities to take aggressive action — encouraged schools to continue […]
Title IX Center article published in Dallas Morning News
/in Title IX in the News /by Liza Farrow-GillespieAn opinion piece by Title IX Center’s Patricia Davis, J.D., Ph.D., has been published in the Dallas Morning News Sunday edition, and on its online blog: “The deep disconnect between the immense and severe problem of sexual assault on college campuses and the weak response by collegiate leadership has become painfully obvious.” Read the article […]
Sexual Exploitation of Teenagers: Adolescent Development, Discrimination, and Consent Law
/in About Title IX /by Patricia DavisJennifer Ann Drobac, Sexual Exploitation of Teenagers: Adolescent Development, Discrimination, and Consent Law (University of Chicago Press, 2016). When we consider the concept of sexual abuse and harassment, our minds tend to jump either towards adults caught in unhealthy relationships or criminals who take advantage of children. But the millions of maturing teenagers who also deal […]
The Neurobiology of Decision Making in High-Risk Youth and the Law of Consent to Sex
/in About Title IX /by Patricia DavisProfessor Jennifer Drobac, of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, has published the following article regarding the law of consent: The Neurobiology of Decision-Making in High Risk Youth & The Law of Consent to Sex, 17 New Crim. L. Rev. 502 (Summer 2014) (peer reviewed) (coauthored with Prof. Leslie Hulvershorn, M.D.). Summary Under […]
“The Safe Campus Act”: Two Steps Back for Campus Safety
/in About Title IX /by Patricia DavisThe Safe Campus Act (Matt Solomon, R-AZ; Pete Sessions, R-TX; Kay Granger, R-TX) is up for discussion this week in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. This bill would prohibit colleges from investigating criminal sexual assault allegations unless they are reported to law enforcement. The rationale behind the bill sounds like common sense: […]
Affirming Consent
/in About Title IX /by Patricia DavisUnder the DOE’s Questions and Answers guidance of April 2014, all institutions of higher education are required to have sexual violence grievance procedures which include: “adequate definitions of sexual harassment (which includes sexual violence) and an explanation as to when such conduct creates a hostile environment.” One of the implications of this requirement is that […]