Caltech Title IX Help

Welcome

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Welcome to caltech-titleix.com, a site providing news, general information, and tips regarding Caltech’s Title IX procedures.

You can reach us at caltechtitleix@protonmail.com. Suggestions, leaks, and any other kind of information most welcome!

Disclaimer

This site is in no way affiliated with the California Institute of Technology. It is run by a group of anonymous volunteers wanting to provide information on how Caltech handles Title IX. Information and recommendations provided here should not be mistaken as legal advice. Get a lawyer! — Having sound legal advice is important for both complainant and respondent.

Caltech loses in Court

2019-07-27T09:30:00-07:00

In the LA Superior Court case BS171416, on July 9, 2019, the judge ruled against Caltech and in favor of John Doe, a graduate student who was put on indefinite leave for alleged violations of Caltech’s policies under Title IX.

The judge granted John Doe a Writ of Administrative Mandate, overruling Caltech and requiring that Caltech must set aside its administrative decision regarding John Doe.

The judge found that Caltech’s Title IX procedures were unfair, Caltech failed to provide Doe an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, and didn’t provide Doe with a hearing before a neutral adjudicator. The judge further wrote that Caltech’s investigators could not serve as neutral adjudicators.

This is big — Caltech students, faculty, and staff currently under investigation will want to consider taking action and demanding a fair process!

The full court decision can be found on Scribd.com.

Key Documents

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Here are links to important documents relevant to Title IX at Caltech:

Caltech’s 2015 MOU with the Pasadena Police
FIRE Spotlight on Caltech
Check out our collection of Books and Monographs.
Links to organizations.

Title IX Coordinators: Hima Vatti

2019-07-28T09:00:00-07:00

Hima Vatti is Caltech’s IX Title Coordinator. She was appointed on July 15. Ms. Vatti is a lawyer who has been working for Caltech in the office of the general counsel since 2009. Ms. Vatti is also the former wife of Caltech Professor Keith Schwab. They were divorced in 2016.

Ms. Vatti holds a JD from Harvard and has been admitted to the California State Bar. This means she is bound by The State Bar of California Rules of Professional Conduct.

Ms. Vatti’s California Bar Number is 269498. It’s worth reading the entire set of rules, but of great importance for Caltech students, faculty, and staff is section 8.4. There it says, quote: “It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to […] (c) engange in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or reckless or intentional misrepresentation; (d) engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice;”

It has been documented in several court cases that previous Caltech Title IX coordinators, investigators, and administrators may have misrepresented facts and have acted prejudically. Since Ms. Vatti is licensed as a laywer by the State Bar, a complaint can and should be filed against her if she engages in such conduct. Information on how to file a complaint can be found on the State Bar of California website.

Expert Lawyers

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There are a number of lawyers who have successfully handled Title IX cases for both complainants and respondents. It is essential to get legal advice, since history has shown that Caltech may not be interested in finding the facts of Title IX cases, but may prefer the outcome that suits them best from a public relations and funding viewpoint.

When picking a lawyer, check their track record with Title IX cases. For a case at Caltech, we tend to recommend a lawyer with experience dealing with Caltech.

Here are some names and contact info. They should not be seen as endorsements and are for informational purposes only.

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser, https://www.kaiserdillon.com/ and https://titleixlawfirm.com/, 202-640-2850.
Alec Rose, https://titleixadvisor.com/, 310-877-5398.
Andrew Miltenberg, https://nmllplaw.com, 332-225-0779.
Michael Azat, https://www.azatlaw.com/, 626-394-9532.
Susan Stone, Kristina Supler, https://studentdefense.kjk.com, 216-912-6915
Michael Zweiback, http://zfclaw.com/team-members/michael-zweiback/, 213-266-5170
Cynthia P. Garret, 619-222-6640.

Books and Monographs

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A number of books and monographs have been writting about Title IX and how universities handle cases:

Advice from an Attorney by Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser.
The Campus Rape Frenzy: The Attack on Due Process at America’s Universities, by KC Johnson and Stuart Taylor, Jr. Amazon Link.
FIRE’s Guide to Due Process and Campus Justice by Harvey Silvergate and Josh Gewolb, link.

Links to Organizations

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Help is out there!