Employers and educational institutions may be faced with allegations of sexual harassment or assault or bias based on gender, age, race, or sexual preference. If so, they have an obligation – both legal and ethical – to investigate those claims in a prompt, unbiased, and reasonable fashion. The preferred way to conduct such an inquiry is to retain a trained outside investigator who can impartially gather facts, assess credibility, and, based on the institution’s preference, either make a recommendation or simply report his or her findings.
I spent four decades as a trial lawyer – gathering facts, evaluating claims, and applying applicable law to the resulting mix. In addition to that extensive experience, I have trained with the Association of Title IX Administrators and obtained their certification as a Civil Rights Investigator. This combination of experience and specific training enables me to work with employers and educational institutions to ensure that the rights of both the complainant and the respondent are recognized and validated, thus assisting the client in satisfying its obligation to provide its students or employees with a fair resolution of their claims.