With respect to any student-on-student complaint, the school "must use a preponderance-of-the-evidence (i.e., more likely than not) standard in any Title IX proceedings, including any fact-finding and hearings."<ref name=qa/> So, even if a school has a long-standing tradition of presuming the accused to be innocent and requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the Department of Education's interpretation of Title IX is making it much easier to find that the male should be punished. In fact, the Title IX procedures requires the college to take steps against the accused while the proceeding is pending so as to avoid the student filing from the complaint to feel exposed to potential harassment from the accused. | With respect to any student-on-student complaint, the school "must use a preponderance-of-the-evidence (i.e., more likely than not) standard in any Title IX proceedings, including any fact-finding and hearings."<ref name=qa/> So, even if a school has a long-standing tradition of presuming the accused to be innocent and requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the Department of Education's interpretation of Title IX is making it much easier to find that the male should be punished. In fact, the Title IX procedures requires the college to take steps against the accused while the proceeding is pending so as to avoid the student filing from the complaint to feel exposed to potential harassment from the accused. |