School Sexual Assault Lawyers in Houston, Texas
The school sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, help victims of school sexual assault reclaim their lives, while seeking justice and compensation for their injuries. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network 13% of all college students have experienced rape or sexual assault. One quarter of undergraduate women are victims of sexual assault on campus according to RAINN. School sexual assault is a pervasive problem. Unfortunately, many universities and colleges fail to have proper procedures in place to report, investigate, and prevent sexual assault, and many colleges and universities don’t have proper procedures to help victims of sexual assault. Students may not always be educated about what constitutes sexual assault or may suffer from the aftermath of sexual violence in silence. If you or someone you love was a victim of sexual assault, the sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, may be able to fight for your rights. Our Houston, Texas, sexual assault lawyers can fight to see that perpetrators are brought to justice.
School Sexual Assault Victims’ Lawyers and Title IX Laws
A sexual assault victims’ lawyer in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, can evaluate whether your college or university could be held liable for your sexual assault under Title IX laws. Under Title IX, all students, regardless of gender have the right to equal access to education. Courts have interpreted Title IX law to include provisions to protect students from gender-based harassment and violence. This includes protection against sexual assault. If a college or university receives federal funding, it is required to take steps to protect women on campus from sexual assault and violence. Campuses must also provide support for women who suffer sexual assault or sexual violence on campus. This may include requiring that the person accused of sexual assault to avoid contact with the victim and may require that the school permit victims to change school schedules, campus living arrangements, or after-school activities to protect the survivor from ongoing contact with an abuser. Every college or university should have clear procedures for how it handles accusations of sexual assault, have a formal hearing procedure in place, and protect victims from retaliation. When victims are sexually assaulted by professors or teachers, they might find themselves in a dynamic where the very person they trust and need to mentor and assist them with their future is the person who has violated them. Universities and colleges must handle cases of sexual assault carefully and swiftly and without retaliating against victims.
If your college or university failed to handle your reports of sexual assault on campus properly, your school may be in violation of Title IX laws. In some cases, victims may be able to pursue a lawsuit against their attackers or even the college, university or school where the attack took place. If you believe your school or professor retaliated against you for reporting sexual assault, you have rights. If you have been a victim of sexual assault on campus, you may have the right to seek justice and compensation for your losses, damages, and injuries. The sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, are here to help you fight back and receive the settlement you may deserve under the law.
What Can I Do If I Was Sexually Assaulted in College or University?
If you were sexually assaulted in college or university, the hours, days, and weeks after your sexual assault can be incredibly difficult. Different people respond to sexual violence in different ways. Some people move swiftly into action, seek medical attention, and report the sexual assault right away, while others might experience shame, guilt, and denial, and may need assistance with accepting and reporting what happened.
If you have experienced sexual assault on campus, you have the right to take steps to keep yourself safe. One of the first things you might want to do is find out what campus resources are available to sexual assault survivors and victims. Your university or college should have clear procedures in place and resources for those who have been sexually assaulted. Your university may be able to connect you with medical and psychological services, and security escorts. If you live near the perpetrator or if you take classes or participate in after-school activities with the perpetrator, you can request a housing or schedule change. You may also be able to seek a restraining order against the perpetrator, and work with sexual assault resources to create a safety plan.
Surviving sexual assault can be an incredibly traumatic and stressful experience. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath alone. The sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, are here to help you understand your rights and options under the law if you were sexually assaulted on campus.
Long-Term Effects of Sexual Assault
Sexual assault can have long-term effects on victims. Survivors might experience guilt and shame or may even initially deny that the assault took place. This is a normal reaction of the brain trying to protect itself from the horror that took place, especially if the person who sexually assaulted you was someone you knew and trusted, like a friend, boyfriend, fellow classmate, or professor. It is not unusual for victims of sexual assault to initially minimize what happened to them, or to even fail to report their assault.
Victims of sexual assault can suffer from PTSD, trust issues, relationship issues, disassociation, social avoidance, and other ongoing psychological difficulties after a sexual assault. Individuals may experience depression, anxiety, or other mood changes. Some may have trouble sleeping. Psychological trauma can impact the nervous system which can lead to pain. Individuals who have suffered trauma might require ongoing counseling and therapy.
Therapy can be costly, and it can be sometimes challenging to come forward and seek help for sexual assault. If you or someone you love was sexually assaulted at school, the sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, may be able to help you. Our attorneys can review the details of your case, help you understand your rights, seek damages from responsible parties, protect your anonymity, and fight for your rights.
How a College Sexual Assault Lawyer in Houston, Texas, Can Help You
A sexual assault lawyer in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, can help you seek damages from the person who assaulted you and also seek damages from the college or university if the college failed to take steps to protect you before or after the assault occurred. A sexual assault lawyer in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, can look at how your university handled your assault case, evaluate the damages you suffered as a result, and fight to help you get the compensation you may deserve so that you can heal and move forward. The sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, understand what responsibilities your university and college has toward you after a sexual assault takes place. If your college failed to take steps to protect you from your perpetrator, failed to take action or hold a hearing, failed to permit you to change your schedule or dorm room, or tried to cover up the assault, you may have rights. Contact the college sexual assault lawyers in Houston, Texas, at Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC, today.
