Independent Title IX investigations
An external investigator for Title IX matters that are too close to home, too large for current capacity, or too consequential to leave any question about neutrality.
When an outside investigator is the right call
A conflict of interest
The respondent is senior, the parties are known to the office, or the matter involves the coordinator's own department.
Capacity has run out
Open matters are aging past your procedural timelines and the office cannot absorb another case without delay.
A matter is already in progress
An investigator has become unavailable mid-process, or a conflict surfaced after intake. We review the file and carry it through.
Privilege matters
Counsel wants the work conducted at their direction and reported to them.
What you receive
Comprehensive investigation report
Allegations, the standard applied, notice and process, the evidence relied on, the analysis, and findings with the reasoning behind each.
Executive summary
The conclusion and its basis for leadership or a decision maker, ordinarily produced alongside the full report.
Oral report
Findings delivered verbally, where counsel is directing the engagement or an assessment is needed before deciding how to proceed.
How the investigation runs
Conflicts and scope
We screen the practitioner and the firm against the institution, the parties, known witnesses, and counsel, and decline where a conflict disqualifies us.
Evidence and interviews
Trauma-informed interviewing that still tests the account, with a record of what was asked and answered.
Findings and handover
A written determination a reviewer can trace without us in the room, and the complete file delivered in a usable format.
Pricing and independence
Investigations are priced on the work they take, usually under a fee cap or a fixed fee agreed after scoping. There is no contingency and no fee that varies with the finding. Published hourly ranges for PK-12, higher education, and workplaces are on the investigations page, which also covers Title VI, Title VII, and ADA and Section 504 matters.
See the investigations page and published ratesQuestions we get
Can an outside firm conduct a Title IX investigation?
Yes. Institutions routinely engage external investigators. The investigator must be free of conflicts and bias and trained on the grievance procedures the institution uses.
Do you also serve as decision maker?
We can serve as investigator or as decision maker on a matter, never both, because the separation between the two roles is part of what makes the outcome defensible.
Can you take over an investigation already underway?
Yes. We review the file, preserve what exists, and carry the matter through to a defensible report.