Title IX accusations can have a detrimental effect on a student’s education, job prospects, and future. Alleged victims who file suit against their schools for claims related to Title IX often litigate the case under a pseudonym. Accused students who file suit for claims arising from a Title IX complaint against them also often seek to proceed under a pseudonym. In a recent nonprecedential disposition, the Seventh Circuit has again denied an accused student the use of a pseudonym in litigation.
The plaintiff was a student at an Illinois university when another student, identified by the court as “Jane Roe,” filed a Title IX complaint against him. Following an investigation, the university found the plaintiff culpable and charged him with sexual assault and drug-related offenses. The plaintiff and Roe had both reportedly ingested “molly” before the incident. The plaintiff was ultimately dismissed from the university.
He filed suit against various university defendants, seeking a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunctive relief, reinstatement of his status as a full-time student, and reversal of the findings. He alleged the university did not provide him with sufficient due process and had discriminated against him based on race, gender, and disability during the investigation.