When a school receives a formal complaint of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sex based discrimination, the institution’s response is governed by federal Title IX regulations and, in California, by overlapping state requirements. An investigation that is late, biased, or procedurally flawed exposes the institution to Office for Civil Rights complaints, litigation from either party, and lasting damage to community trust.
Allen Morris Investigations provides independent, certified Title IX investigation services to K-12 districts, charter schools, private schools, community colleges, and universities throughout California. As a neutral external investigator, Kathie Allen serves institutions that cannot staff an investigation internally, face a conflict of interest, or require the credibility of an outside professional.
We serve in the investigator role required under the Title IX regulations, conducting interviews of complainants, respondents, and witnesses, gathering documentary and electronic evidence, and preparing the investigative report that the decision maker relies upon. Engagements include formal complaints of sexual harassment or sexual assault involving students; complaints in which the respondent is a faculty member, coach, administrator, or other employee; matters involving dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking as defined under the regulations; sex based discrimination complaints outside the harassment definition; and re-investigation of matters remanded after appeal.
Where a complaint involves school employees, Title IX obligations frequently intersect with California workplace law. Our workplace investigations practice allows a single investigator to address both dimensions without duplicating interviews, including related harassment and discrimination investigations and retaliation claim investigations.
Following the January 2025 federal court decision vacating the 2024 rule, institutions nationwide operate under the 2020 Title IX regulations. Our process is aligned accordingly: written notice of allegations to both parties before any interview; an objective evaluation of all relevant evidence, inculpatory and exculpatory; equal opportunity for both parties to identify witnesses and evidence; the required review period for the parties to inspect and respond to the evidence before the report is finalized; and a written investigative report that fairly summarizes the relevant evidence, delivered within the institution’s designated timeframes. For postsecondary institutions, we prepare files that withstand the live hearing and cross examination requirements. We remain current on regulatory developments and adjust procedures as federal requirements change.
Neutrality is not just best practice under Title IX; the regulations require an investigator free from conflicts of interest and bias. An external investigator removes any question of institutional loyalty, protects internal staff relationships, and provides capacity when a Title IX office faces simultaneous matters. Kathie Allen is a Certified Title IX Investigator and a California licensed private investigator (PI #27033), with more than 20 years of investigative experience.
Institutions may use trained internal staff, but when they retain an external investigator in California, that investigator must generally be a licensed private investigator or a licensed attorney acting within the scope of legal practice. Kathie Allen is a Certified Title IX Investigator and a California licensed private investigator (PI #27033), which permits her to conduct external Title IX investigations for districts, colleges, and universities throughout the state.
Following a January 2025 federal court decision vacating the 2024 regulations, institutions nationwide operate under the 2020 Title IX regulations. Those rules define the investigator role, require written notice of allegations, an objective evaluation of evidence, a party review period before the report is finalized, and, for postsecondary institutions, live hearings with cross examination. We monitor regulatory developments and adjust procedures as federal requirements change.
The regulations require reasonably prompt timeframes, which each institution defines in its own grievance procedures, commonly 60 to 90 days for the investigation phase. Actual duration depends on the number of parties and witnesses, the volume of evidence, and academic calendars. We provide a projected schedule at intake and communicate promptly if circumstances require an extension.
Yes. When the respondent is an employee, the institution often needs both a Title IX investigation and a parallel employment review under California law. Using one qualified investigator for both avoids duplicate interviews of the same witnesses, keeps findings consistent, and reduces cost and disruption. Our workplace investigations practice is built for exactly this intersection.
The written report fairly summarizes the relevant evidence: the allegations and procedural history, the investigative steps taken, summaries of party and witness interviews, the documentary and electronic evidence gathered, and an organized presentation of inculpatory and exculpatory evidence on each allegation. Under the 2020 regulations the investigator does not decide responsibility; the report equips the institution’s decision maker to do so.
Yes. We serve public school districts, charter and private schools, community colleges, and universities. K-12 matters follow the same core grievance process but do not require live hearings, and they frequently involve mandated reporting and student privacy considerations. Postsecondary matters require hearing ready files that withstand cross examination. Our procedures are tailored to each setting.
To discuss a Title IX matter in confidence, contact Allen Morris Investigations or call (949) 573-4624.
