Has Your School Opened a Case Against You?
Title IX and College Discipline Defense Attorney in Saratoga Springs, NY
Iseman PLLC represents students involved in Title IX and college disciplinary matters at schools in Saratoga Springs and throughout New York’s Capital Region.
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A college disciplinary case is separate from the court system. The school follows its own policies, uses its own timeline, and can impose serious consequences, including suspension, expulsion, or loss of a degree, without a criminal conviction or even criminal charges.
Most schools use a lower burden of proof than a criminal court. In many cases, the school only needs to find that an allegation is “more likely than not” to be true. That makes the evidence and record developed during the campus process especially important.
Communications with our office are confidential.
Who defends your case
25+ Years
Of combined experience
Recognized by
01Who we represent
We Represent Both Sides of Campus Cases
We represent:
- Students accused of misconduct
- Students reporting sexual misconduct or violence
- Students facing academic, conduct, hazing, drug, or alcohol allegations
- Students dealing with interim suspensions, no-contact orders, or transcript issues
- Students whose campus matter may also lead to a criminal investigation or charge
In many Title IX hearings, the student’s advisor, not the student, asks questions of witnesses and parties. Choosing an advisor who understands both campus procedure and criminal-defense risk can make a meaningful difference.
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A Campus Case Can Affect a Criminal Case
A school investigation and a criminal investigation can move forward at the same time. They are separate processes, with separate decision-makers and separate rules.
Statements made to a school investigator, hearing officer, or campus administrator may later matter in a criminal case. Before speaking with an investigator or submitting a written response, understand how that information could affect both tracks.
02What we handle
Campus Matters We Handle in Saratoga
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Cases
We represent students in matters involving:
- Title IX complaints
- Campus sexual misconduct investigations
- Title IX hearings
- Hearing-advisor representation
- Appeals from campus findings
- Representation for reporting students
Conduct, Academic, and Enrollment Matters
We also handle:
- Student code-of-conduct charges
- Academic integrity and cheating allegations
- Hazing allegations
- Drug and alcohol violations
- Interim suspensions
- No-contact directives
- Graduate and professional-school discipline
If the same allegations result in criminal charges or an outside investigation, visit our pages on sex crimes defense, assault and violent crimes, drug crimes defense, and internal investigations.
03Why work with us
Why Students Work With Iseman PLLC
A Saratoga Lawyer With Title IX and Trial Experience
Scott Iseman has taught other New York defense lawyers about the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX regulations through a continuing legal education program for the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
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He brings experience in both campus disciplinary matters and criminal trial defense. That combination matters when a student faces a school investigation and potential criminal exposure at the same time.
Scott has tried approximately 35 jury cases to verdict and handled approximately 300 criminal matters. Iseman PLLC has handled campus matters at SUNY Albany and Skidmore College.
Experience at a glance
New York defense lawyers
Scott Iseman
Scott Iseman
experience
Your Legal Team
Michael Blasie, Trial Litigator & Appellate Counsel
Michael Blasie assists with the written work that can shape a campus case, including responses to investigative reports and appeals from disciplinary findings.
An appeal usually depends on the record created during the investigation and hearing. The earlier stages of the case are where that record must be developed.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its facts, evidence, applicable law, and school policy.
The Five Stages of a Campus Case
Every school has its own policy, deadlines, and procedures. The process often follows five basic stages.
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01 Notice of Allegations
The school provides written notice describing the allegations and the policy it claims was violated.
Turns on whether the notice gives enough detail to allow a meaningful response and defense.
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02 Investigation
An investigator gathers statements, messages, records, and other evidence. The parties may have an opportunity to review evidence before the investigative report is finalized.
Turns on what evidence becomes part of the official record.
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03 Hearing
At a hearing, the parties’ accounts are tested through questioning and evidence. In many Title IX matters, the advisor asks the questions rather than the student.
Turns on the quality of the questioning, and the preparation behind it.
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04 Determination
A decision-maker determines whether the student is responsible under the school’s stated standard of proof.
Many schools use a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, meaning the decision-maker believes it is more likely than not that the alleged conduct occurred. Some schools use a higher standard, but campus standards are generally lower than the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
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05 Appeal
An appeal is usually not a second hearing. It is typically limited to specific grounds, such as a procedural error that affected the outcome, new evidence that was not reasonably available earlier, and bias or a conflict of interest involving a decision-maker or other participant.
Because appeals generally rely on the existing record, it is important to address evidence and procedural concerns before the initial decision is issued.
Two separate tracks
Campus and Criminal Cases Are Separate
A college may move forward with its own disciplinary process even when law enforcement is investigating the same events. The school can sometimes pause its process, but it does not have to wait for a criminal case to end.
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A student may face school discipline without criminal charges. Likewise, a criminal case may end without changing the school’s decision.
If there is any risk of criminal exposure, get legal guidance before making statements to campus investigators, submitting written responses, or participating in a hearing.
Case results
Selected Campus Case Results in Saratoga
Allegations Dismissed During Investigation
A student was accused of misconduct by a classmate, and the college opened an investigation.
Our firm conducted an independent investigation, collected witness statements, messages, and photographs, and presented that material to the school investigator. The college dismissed the allegations before a hearing was held.
Student Found Not Responsible After Hearing
A sophomore honors student was accused of sexual assault by a former student. The matter proceeded to a contested campus hearing.
We investigated promptly, gathered witness statements and social-media messages, and presented the defense at the hearing. The hearing panel found the student not responsible, and he graduated.
Representation for a Reporting Student
We represented a student who reported sexual violence to her school.
We helped organize supporting evidence and prepared her for investigative interviews and the hearing. The responding student was found responsible and disciplined.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Case results depend on the facts, evidence, and applicable school policy. School and client names are withheld.
Client reviews
Saratoga Springs Families on Working With Scott
“Scott has restored my faith in the system.”
Jim L.Google Review
“Scott really helped me!… I recommend you consider hiring him to help you!”
LarryLee FiberGoogle Local Guide
Testimonials and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Quick answers
Campus Case Questions From Saratoga Families
The questions that come up in the first call to this office.
Can I bring a lawyer to a campus hearing?
Usually, yes, often as your advisor. Schools generally let a student choose an advisor and generally allow that advisor to be a lawyer. What varies is how much the advisor is permitted to do, and the school’s own policy is what says.
Who asks the questions at the hearing?
The advisor does, not the student. That is the part most families do not expect, and it is the reason the choice of advisor matters more than it looks. A hearing where the questioning is done well looks nothing like one where it is not.
What does the school have to prove?
Less than a criminal court. Most schools ask whether something is more likely than not to have happened, and a school’s own policy is what sets the bar. Either way it is lower than a criminal case has to clear, so a case that would never survive in court can still produce a finding on campus.
Do I have to talk to the investigator?
That is a decision to make with a lawyer rather than on your own. Whatever you say becomes part of the record the case gets decided on, and it can also surface later if a criminal case follows.
Can the school act before there is any hearing?
Sometimes. A school can issue an interim suspension or a no-contact order while a case is open, and those can usually be challenged while the case is still running rather than after it ends.
Can the school discipline me if I am never charged with a crime?
Yes. The two processes are separate and answer to nobody in common. A school can find a student responsible when no charge is ever filed, and a criminal case can end without changing what the school decided.
Will a finding show up on my transcript?
It can, and that is the consequence that outlasts everything else. A suspension or expulsion can be noted on a transcript, and that notation is a separate thing worth arguing about.
Do you represent students who report, or only students accused?
Both. We defend accused students, and we represent students who report misconduct through the investigation and the hearing. They are different jobs and the firm does each one.
Speak With a Saratoga Title IX Lawyer
Bring the written notice from your school and the policy referenced in that notice. Campus deadlines can move quickly, and your initial response may shape the record used throughout the case.
Visit us
Iseman PLLC 59 Franklin StreetSaratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 633‑1528 scott@scottisemanlaw.com Get directions
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page provides general information, not legal advice, and is not a prediction of the outcome of any individual matter. Iseman PLLC, 59 Franklin Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, (518) 633-1528.