College Racial Discrimination & Harassment Lawyers
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Case Results
Here are some representative results we’ve achieved for our clients.
Female complainant’s rights, health, and safety protected throughout lengthy proceedings
Our client was sexually assaulted by a male student acquaintance. We became involved to support our client in
getting proper medical treatment, preserving and collecting evidence and witness testimony, and securing
therapeutic support. We helped her understand and navigate the many complex options available to her, including a
criminal complaint, an informal complaint process, a formal complaint process, or doing nothing. We guided her
through the informal process and then the formal process, including interviews with various school and law
enforcement officials, and worked closely with the school to put in place appropriate accommodations ensuring that
all interviews and hearings did not retraumatize her. The male student was found responsible and was expelled.
Large private university
Witness to sexual violence protected from intimidation
We represented a female witness to a dating violence case on campus who was being pressured to speak with the
police and the school investigators about a violent matter she had witnessed on her dorm floor. We immediately
communicated on her behalf to the local police, school administrators, and the Title IX investigators to protect
her right to choose to not testify and ensure her safety on campus. She was very relieved not to be pressured by
the school, the title IX office or the police to attend the hearing and testify about fellow students.
Small private college
Investigation of sexual assault complaint concludes with no charges filed
Our client contacted us immediately upon receiving notice by his school that a claim of sexual assault was made
against him by a female student. We assisted him in preparing his detailed answer to the complaint, and then
prepared him and accompanied him to his interview with the campus safety police officers. We worked with the
school Title IX administrators and helped our client find evidence to show inconsistencies with the complaint. The
complainant withdrew her complaint when presented with these inconsistencies and then recanted. The investigation
ended and our client was not charged with anything.
Midsized private college
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Client Testimonials
"I am writing to let any college student who gets accused of something serious by their school know that they
need a lawyer like Felice Duffy to defend them. I was accused of something terrible by a student that I would
never do and didn’t do. Even though I knew exactly what actually happened, I was very scared that my university
might not find me innocent.
It was terrifying to think that I might lose my full basketball scholarship or could have been suspended or
expelled and that me and my family’s name could have gotten a horrible reputation.
I can’t even put into words how I excited I was when I got the letter from the school that cleared me completely
of the charges against me and I have Felice to thank for that 100%.
Since I’m not in Connecticut, Felice and her investigator used video conferencing to interview me and my
witnesses, talk with my parents, and get me fully prepared for every meeting I had with my school. They got all
my texts and email that proved my innocence and organized them perfectly for the Dean and the discipline
committee.
Felice was always very direct and respectful even though the subject matter was very personal, and she was always
ahead of the school in terms of getting me and them important information at every step. It was like having the
best scouting report ever."
Felice obviously knows her stuff but she also deeply cares. You can tell that she loves the work she’s doing to
help college kids in really difficult situations."
College Sophomre, Colorado
“I hired Duffy Law in the middle of a Title IX sexual assault proceeding. While I had initially retained another
attorney on a recommendation, it turns out they did not have much insight to the inner workings of university
policy, which I learned is NOT required to follow the basic laws of due process.
Felice was absolutely incredible, and as an athlete, she understood my thought process and feelings the entire
way. This is what stood out the most to me. At the beginning of my school’s adjudication process, I was an
absolute mess. Not only is Felice extremely knowledgeable in law and how school adjudication processes work, but
she also really does care about her clients and their well-being.
It was initially extremely tough for me to speak about what I was facing. Felice was able to assist me not only in
compiling the proper evidence and responding to the school, but also put me in the right state of mind to defend
myself and move on with my life after it was all completed.
Prior to hiring Duffy Law, I was concerned that I would be relegated to working with a legal assistant or
secretary being that my case was in a college setting as opposed to a state court. However, Felice always found a
way to make time and was there every step of the way.
I feel like an important part of hiring an attorney is being able to trust them to fight for you no matter what
the scenario may be and you can rest assured you will be getting that with Duffy Law. I would recommend Felice
Duffy of Duffy Law 10 times out of 10 to anyone that may be put in a tough situation like I was”
Female College Freshman, Massachusetts
“When your kid is accused of a serious conduct code violation at his college, you quickly learn that there’s a
whole different set of rules in place than in the real world. There are no legal standards, no assurances of a
“fair trial.” You’re presumed guilty and you have to backtrack and prove why you’re NOT guilty. We pretty quickly
realized that we needed strong legal representation and guidance. Our son was completely falsely accused and we
were ready to dig in to clear his name.
Duffy Law’s truly unique background and deep experience with navigating the school’s process was amazing. They
made it clear that our son was the client, not us (his parents). They worked with him extensively and earned his
total trust. He felt empowered that he had the right people in his corner to defend him. They gave our whole
family a sense a calm and confidence.
Thanks to incredibly hard work by Felice and her team, our son was found “not responsible” (meaning innocent of
any wrongdoing). The outcome was everything we could have hoped for. I have already recommended Duffy Law to a
friend who’s son was caught up in a serious, very complicated conduct code charge, and I will continue to
recommend them to any student or parent without reservation.”
Parent of a male southwest private college senior
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Schools Where We've Handled Cases
Here are some of the schools where we’ve represented students, faculty, coaches, and staff:
- Amherst College
- Arkansas State University
- Bard College
- Bates College
- Belmont Abbey College
- Black Hills State University
- Bowling Green State University
- Brandeis University
- Brown University
- Cal State Polytechnic University
- Campbell University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Central Connecticut State University
- Charter Oak State College
- Colgate University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Colorado State University
- Columbia University
- Connecticut College
- Creighton Law School
- Dartmouth College
- Dartmouth Medical School
- Elim Bible Institute and College
- Emmanuel College
- Fairfield University
- Flagler College
- Florida State University
- Fordham University
- Furman University
- George Fox University
- Guilford College
- Howard University
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Indiana University
- Johns Hopkins University
- LaSalle University
- Lesley University
- Long Island University
- Louisiana State University
- Marist College
- Marquette University
- Miami University
- Michigan State University
- Mississippi University
- Mount St. Mary's University
- New College of Florida
- Nichols College
- Pennsylvania State University
- Pittsburgh State University
- Plymouth State University
- Quinnipiac University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rice University
- Sacred Heart University
- South Carolina State University
- Southern Connecticut State University
- St. John's University
- St. Lawrence University
- Syracuse University
- Swarthmore College
- Tallahassee Comm. College
- Texas A&M Univiersity
- Touro University
- Trinity College
- Tufts University
- University of Buffalo
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Riverside
- University of Central Florida
- University of Connecticut
- University of Hartford
- University of Kansas
- University of Lynchburg
- University of Maryland
- University of Mass. Med. School
- University of Miami
- University of Missouri
- University of Nebraska
- University of New Haven
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Pittsburg
- University of Redlands California
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Texas Austin
- University of Vermont
- University of Virginia
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
- University of Wyoming
- Utah University School of Medicine
- Vance-Granville Community College
- Vassar College
- Virginia Wesleyan University
- Washington University, St. Louis
- Wesleyan University
- Westfield State University
- Western Connecticut State University
- Western Washington University
- Wheaton College
- William Smith College
- Yale University
- Youngstown State University
Students at nearly all colleges and universities in the U.S. are bound by codes of conduct. Most college codes of conduct include prohibitions against certain forms of bias-motivated behavior, including racial discrimination and harassment. When it comes to racial discrimination and harassment, most college codes of conduct have language that clarifies actions and behavior that violate university policy. It is important for potential complainants and respondents to understand how these codes of conduct function and what they prohibit, and to know what to do if you are the target of racial discrimination or are accused of racial discrimination.
Bias-Motivated Conduct Concerning Race on College Campuses
Bias-motivated conduct is prohibited on college campuses through codes of conduct. In a code of conduct, a college or university will clarify what types of behavior are expected of students, and what kinds of behavior are unacceptable. Bias-motivated conduct is typically any kind of behavior that is motivated by an existing prejudice or even an implicit bias against a specific person or a group that is protected against discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, or religion.
Typically, college codes of conduct make behavior actionable when it is both motivated by bias and intended to cause any type of harm. As such, language or actions that arise out of implicit biases may not violate a code of conduct. The ability of a college or university to limit certain types of speech or behavior depend on a variety of factors, including whether the institution is private or public. Some codes of conduct contain more prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of race and other protected categories than others.
Bias-motivated conduct when it comes to race can affect students in classrooms, residence halls, athletic fields, university-sponsored activities, and other parts of campus life.
Complainant Issues in Bias-Motivated Conduct
Complainant issues in bias-motivated conduct may include but are not limited to:
- Personal safety concerns and fears of bodily injury
- Concerns about the safety of others on the college campus
- Fears about the college or university’s position when it comes to protecting students of color on campus
- Worries about retaliation for filing a complaint
- Questions about whether the issue should also be reported to local law enforcement
- Options for reducing contact with the alleged perpetrator
Respondent Issues in Bias-Motivated Conduct
Respondent issues in bias-motivated conduct may include but are not limited to:
- Freedom of speech concerns
- Academic freedom concerns
- Fears about being suspended or expelled from the college or university
- Reputation with faculty, staff, and other students in the college community
- Worries about issues of defamation, or slander or libel, on the college campus and the larger community
- Possibility of facing criminal charges
Examples of College Policies Concerning Bias-Motivated Conduct on Campus
Each college and university campus has its own code of conduct that outlines prohibited behavior and community standards on campus. When it comes to racial discrimination and harassment, many codes of conduct use language that mirrors certain federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For example, Hampshire College has a code of conduct that says it “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information and any other class or individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law.”
In terms of prohibitions against harassment, colleges and universities take different approaches. Some outline prohibitions against bias-motivated speech and conduct, while others give broad allowances to First Amendment free speech guarantees. For instance, Texas A&M University’s conduct code says it “respects the right of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution and of academic freedom,” but it clarifies that “threatening or harassing speech” is excluded. The university’s code of conduct further clarifies that it prohibits “racial and ethnic harassment,” which it defines as “discrimination on race, color, or national origin and involves behavior that is so severe and pervasive and objective offensive so as to interfere with or limit the ability of a student to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by Texas A&M University.”
In defining racial harassment, Texas A&M, as an example, makes clear that, “to rise to the level of racial and ethnic harassment, behaviors must include something beyond the mere expression of views, words, symbols, or thoughts that some person finds offensive.” Further, the code of conduct explains, “the conduct must also be sufficiently serious to deny or limit a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the educational program and/or experience.” The U.S. Department of Education provides additional information about determining whether unlawful racial harassment has occurred based on both a “hostile environment analysis” and a “severe, pervasive or persistent standard.”
Examples of Offending Behaviors
The following are examples of recent offending behaviors at a variety of U.S. colleges and universities:
- Racist stickers posted around the campus at Iowa State University
- Student government advisor at Iowa State University in “blackface”
- Racist graffiti at Syracuse University, including language derogatory to African Americans, Native Americans, and students of Asian descent
- Syracuse University students participating in a bias-motivated verbal assault against an African American student
- Students at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire posting a series of racist social media posts from Snapchat
- Noose in a residence hall at Auburn University
- Colorado State University students appearing in “blackface” on a social media post
Depending upon the code of conduct, “blackface” may be a violation at some institutions, while it might fall under free speech provisions at other institutions. In many situations, unlike social media posts or other forms of speech, can be interpreted as a threat and may even violate certain hate crime laws.
Indeed, in some cases, bias-motivated behavior could rise to the level of hate crime allegations under state law. Currently, 46 states and the District of Columbia have state laws that criminalize certain forms of bias-motivated behavior. As the U.S. Department of Justice explains, “different jurisdictions define hate crimes to include different bias motivations.” There are also a handful of federal hate crime laws, and certain bias-motivated incidents can be prosecuted federally under the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Generally speaking, most hate crime laws require a knowing attempt to cause bodily injury to a person on the basis of race or another protected category. Most of the incidents described above likely would not be classified as hate crimes, but it is important to know the specific state law where the college or university is located.
Contact a National College Code of Conduct Lawyer for Assistance
At Duffy Law, LLC, we know that bias-motivated conduct cases can be particularly contentious and can raise a variety of issues for all parties involved in the matter. Whether you are facing allegations of bias-motivated conduct or have filed a complaint concerning bias-motivated conduct on your college campus, we know how difficult and complicated this process can be. Given that we routinely represent both complainants and respondents in bias-motivated conduct violations and other code of conduct issues on college campuses nationwide, we are familiar with both sides of the process. Regardless of whether you are a complainant or a respondent, it is extremely important to take allegations of bias-motivated conduct seriously and to work with an experienced college code of conduct lawyer on your case. Contact Duffy Law online or call us at 203-946-2000 to set up a consultation.