[Webinar] Exploring the Role of Defamation Claims and Reputational Harm in Title IX Processes

In May 2025, a jury awarded $2 million to a coach who filed a defamation lawsuit against a student for spreading false rumors of sexual misconduct. This case stands out because successful defamation claims stemming from administrative processes like Title IX can be challenging to prove for a variety of reasons. As defamation lawsuits become more common in cases of Title IX violations or other sexual misconduct, the ATIXA community needs to understand them better, what can lead to such a suit, and how such suits are won and lost.

We’ll explore how institutions are often caught in the middle, and what role institutions can play in enhancing or avoiding the risk of a defamation claim. One of the attorneys representing the coach, Patricia Hamill, J.D., joins ATIXA experts Brett A. Sokolow, J.D. and Dan Fotoples, J.D., M.A. to discuss her insights on the intersections of Title IX, defamation claims, and reputational harm, including some of the common challenges she encounters and navigates as legal representation for parties to Title IX formal complaints.

This is an exclusive, Members-only webinar. Not a member? Join today!

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