University and college campuses are supposed to be safe environments in which young adults can foster their education, independence, and futures. Most college students are living on their own for the first time and are facing many other “firsts” that can feel monumental. For far too many college students, the extremely traumatic experience of being sexually assaulted is part of their college experience. When sexual assault occurs, many survivors hesitate to come forward because of social judgment, fear or shame, or a struggle to identify and put a name to what happened to them.

Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools are required to protect students both from abuse and to provide a fair hearing process for the accused. If a college or university fails to comply with Title IX, they risk their federal funding. While all college campuses are protected by Title IX to combat this pervasive issue, sexual assault is still common. A 2015 study showed 26 percent of women experience sexual assault during college, and 13 percent of all students experience sexual assault or abuse. At the University of Southern California and the University of Michigan, for example, students were abused by trusted campus employees. These situations show a clear systematic failure of higher education institutions to protect their students from sexual abuse.

A student should never have to question their safety or whether or not their school would stand up for them in the event of a sexual assault. Our team at The Simpson Tuegel Law Firm focuses on making sure that survivors’ rights are upheld and working to obtain justice on behalf of those who are able to come forward with their stories.

Our expertise

With a wealth of experience in the field, The Simpson Tuegel Law Firm is ready to help survivors seeking to hold their abuser and their universities or colleges accountable for sexual abuse. Our fierce advocacy for survivors, backed by a comprehensive understanding of sexual assault and abuse in higher education, underlines our unique expertise in pursuing claims related to sexual abuse on college campuses.

We have represented sexual abuse and assault survivors and helped obtain meaningful verdicts and settlements in many of the most high-profile sexual abuse cases of the last decade, including the Larry Nassar litigation against The U.S. Olympic Committee, Michigan State University, and USA Gymnastics, the litigation against the University of Southern California related to Dr. George Tyndall, and the litigation against the University of Michigan related to Dr. Robert Anderson.

We are here for you

Coming forward after being sexually abused is very difficult, and it takes a lot of courage to take action and tell your story. There are paths toward justice for you in both the criminal and civil justice systems, and we will help you every step of the way.

If you are in need of representation or simply have questions about a potential path to justice, please reach out using the contact form below. We will approach your case with sensitivity and dedication to get you the answers and outcome you deserve.