Seton Hall Campus Building tops and Tree with red foliage

Title IX Investigator Training, Sept. 24-25th

Seton Hall University is pleased to welcome Leslie Gomez and Gina M. Smith from Cozen O'Connor for a two-day intensive, comprehensive training for Title IX Coordinators and Investigators.

This two-day workshop will provide participants with an in-depth training including investigation protocols, forensic interviewing, managing investigative issues and more.

Our presenters are nationally recognized experts who have assisted numerous college and universities with their compliance with Title IX, the Clery Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and much more.

Seton Hall is committed to making this training as affordable and accessible to as many of our colleagues as possible. The total cost for this two-day workshop ($250 per person) is less than most one-hour webinars. However, space is limited so we do encourage you to register soon to reserve your spot.

Register

Agenda

This agenda is fluid to allow for full discussion and interaction throughout the day. We will also take a break mid-morning and mid-afternoon each day.

Monday, September 24th

9 a.m. – Registration

9:30 a.m. - The Context

Overview of Effective Practices
Key Issues to be Considered by Campus Leaders
Overview of Relevant Legal Authority
- Title IX
- The Clery Act, as amended by VAWA
- The Intersections between Title IX and VAWA
- State law variations

12:30 p.m. - Lunch (provided)

1:30 p.m. - The Coordinated Institutional Response

Centralized reporting
Intake and assessment
Evaluation of requests for anonymity
Interim measures
Multi-disciplinary team practices
- Identifying team member roles
- Coordination of information and personnel
- Mapping out the institutional sequence
Procedural requirements for investigation and adjudications
Communications and documentation

Tuesday, September 25th

9 a.m. - Dynamics of Sexual Assault, Harassment, Intimate Partner Violence & Stalking

Neurobiological impacts of trauma
Reactive coping mechanisms
Delay in reporting
Disclosure
Recantation
Alcohol and other drugs
Consent and incapacitation
Understanding corroboration
Understanding physical evidence

Investigative Protocols

Separating support and advocacy from investigation/adjudication
Informed and sensitive communications
Developing an investigative plan
Maintaining a working chronology
Building a timeline
Communications
Documentation of interviews
Gathering physical evidence

Forensic Interviewing

Narrative and follow up
Corroboration
Questioning techniques
Privacy and retaliation considerations

Report Writing Considerations

Format
Content
Rationale
Review of the report by the parties

12:00 p.m. - Lunch (provided)

1:00 p.m. - Evaluating Credibility

Word against word assessments
Demeanor, Interest, Detail, Corroboration, Common Sense

1:00 p.m. - Investigative issues

Consent
Alcohol/Incapacitation
Intimate Partner Violence
Prior sexual history
Pattern evidence

Presenters

Our presenters are nationally recognized experts who have assisted numerous college and universities with their compliance with Title IX, the Clery Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and much more.

Leslie Gomez Profile Photo Leslie Gomez , Vice Chair of Cozen O'Connor's Institutional Response Group, focuses her practice on the institutional response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, child abuse, other forms of harassment and discrimination, and criminal conduct.

Leslie provides consulting, counseling, and legal advice on all aspects of the institutional response to misconduct by students, employees, and third parties. She assists institutions in designing effective institutional responses that integrate the complex federal and state regulatory framework, the unique dynamics of trauma and the impacts of interpersonal violence on individuals and communities, and the institution's individual context, policies, personnel, and institutional values. Leslie regularly advises presidents, boards, senior leadership, counsel, student affairs, human resources, campus law enforcement, Title IX Coordinators, campus police and other campus partners in implementing trauma-informed, fair, and impartial processes.

Leslie helps institutions develop comprehensive policies, procedures, systems, and training programs in compliance with Title IX, Title VII, the Clery Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, and state and local laws. Leslie conducts comprehensive policy audits; drafts policies, procedures, and internal operating protocols; develops and trains multi-disciplinary teams; serves as an expert adviser to campus task forces and working groups; consults and advises on Title IX investigation, adjudication and appeal proceedings; and assists educational institutions in meeting federal compliance obligations and responding to investigations by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Clery Compliance Division.

Leslie is also a nationally recognized expert in child abuse and child protection, including the dynamics of child abuse, child protective services laws and the coordination of investigations with child protective services and local, state and federal law enforcement. She develops and designs policies, compliance programs and educational content related to mandatory child abuse reporting and the protection of minors. Leslie has nearly two decades of experience investigating sex crimes, child abuse, domestic violence and stalking, first as a career child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault prosecutor, and later as counsel to colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other institutions. She directs internal investigations, coordinates communications and interactions with law enforcement, assists in the design and implementation of disciplinary proceedings, and provides advice about the interplay between civil and criminal proceedings. She has led numerous highly complex investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct at educational and religious institutions. Prior to entering private practice, Leslie served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office for more than 14 years. As a career prosecutor in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit and Chief of the Juvenile Unit, she prosecuted complex child abuse, kidnapping, domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault cases, developed a robust training program, and educated hundreds of young prosecutors.

Gina Maisto Smith Profile Photo Gina Maisto Smith , Chair of Cozen O'Connor's Institutional Response Group, focuses her practice on the institutional response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, child abuse, and other forms of harassment, discrimination, and criminal conduct.

Gina provides consulting, counseling, and legal advice on all aspects of the institutional response to misconduct. She assists institutions in designing effective institutional responses that integrate the complex federal and state regulatory framework with the unique dynamics of trauma and the impacts of interpersonal violence on individuals and communities.

Gina regularly advises educational and child-serving institutions including public and private K-12 schools and colleges and universities about policies, changes in the law, and investigations into allegations of child abuse and sexual misconduct, including sexual violence. She regularly conducts policy audits and assists in the development of policy and the design and implementation of internal operating procedures.

In addition, Gina conducts training for K-12 administrators and multiple university constituencies, including Title IX coordinators, sexual assault response teams, judicial hearing boards, investigators, and members of the campus community. Before entering private practice, Gina spent nearly two decades in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office where she investigated numerous cases, handled more than 100 jury trials, and developed unmatched experience in the investigation and prosecution of sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence.