After a 34-year career at Savannah State University, SSU terminated Chief of Police James Barnwell after conducting a harassment investigation using the single investigator model. Barnwell recently sued.
According to the complaint, SSU used “selective testimony” from “a prior investigation a year earlier of which he was not notified” and of which “there is no investigative report.” This raises obvious questions about how Barnwell could have had a meaningful opportunity to see and respond to the evidence against him.
Barnwell also alleges in his complaint that SSU failed to identify the “specific conduct for which he was found to have violated SSU’s policies.”
While the investigation was done by a Board of Regents employee rather than the Title IX office, the complaint alleges the following procedural deficiencies common in complaints from students accused of Title IX related offenses (except the last):
We’ve included lawsuit this in our database since it involves many of the same “features” of Title IX investigations.
Thank You for Reading
If you like what you have read, feel free to sign up for our newsletter here:
About the Author
Related Posts
After a 34-year career at Savannah State University, SSU terminated Chief of Police James Barnwell after conducting a harassment investigation using the single investigator model. Barnwell recently sued.
According to the complaint, SSU used “selective testimony” from “a prior investigation a year earlier of which he was not notified” and of which “there is no investigative report.” This raises obvious questions about how Barnwell could have had a meaningful opportunity to see and respond to the evidence against him.
Barnwell also alleges in his complaint that SSU failed to identify the “specific conduct for which he was found to have violated SSU’s policies.”
While the investigation was done by a Board of Regents employee rather than the Title IX office, the complaint alleges the following procedural deficiencies common in complaints from students accused of Title IX related offenses (except the last):
We’ve included lawsuit this in our database since it involves many of the same “features” of Title IX investigations.
Thank You for Reading
If you like what you have read, feel free to sign up for our newsletter here:
More from Title IX for All
Advisors for Accused Students
We can help you craft and execute a defense strategy at any stage—from report to investigation to adjudication—with the goal of achieving the best possible outcome.
Accused Students Database
A feature-rich database of lawsuits by accused higher ed students alleging schools violated their rights while investigating sexual misconduct claims.
