Take Advantage of Final-Eyes: Off-Site Investigation Review from The NCHERM Group

BERWYN, Pa., Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For those trained to investigate civil rights violations and with experience investigating sexual misconduct complaints, many go through every detail, twice. Yet, some cases leave investigators feeling uneasy. Has every question been asked?  Is there anything being missed?  Something not being considered?  Can one be too close to the facts to see them clearly? Check in each step of the way with Final-Eyes to ensure getting it right from A to Z.

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This off-site support and review service allows subscribers to:

• access assistance to strategize the investigation from the outset
• touch base as the investigation is conducted along the way
• offer a sounding board for conclusions as investigators are ready to make a finding
• have the confidence that one of the nation's foremost experts on Title IX has laid final eyes on findings, sanctions and/or remedies, and thinks things are on the right track

Final-Eyes guarantees that an NCHERM Group partner will be available to walk through an investigation step-by-step and review decisions by phone and/or email. Final-Eyes is the reassurance needed in a time when there is zero margin for error on campus sexual misconduct cases.

More than 100 campuses are using Final-Eyes regularly. The NCHERM Group partners often connect with campus investigators or coordinators early in the process for strategic questions. Is this Title IX? What does one do with a reluctant witness, etc. Then, the partner touches base during the investigation if an investigator gets stuck or needs help obtaining evidence that is hard-to-obtain. Finally, the partner lays "final eyes" on the investigator's report in draft form, marking it up and/or providing feedback by phone. The communication is attorney-client privileged, if so wished. The feedback given on the draft report is very extensive. Partners ask probing questions, note areas not fully explored, suggest edits, and provide language that is more compliant and better able to manage risk. The NCHERM Group's partners use the service to mentor investigators, and guide them to stronger, more defensible outcomes. Partners don't opine on findings unless asked directly, but do note whether the findings strike them as adequately or poorly supported.

Many already rely on general counsel for something like Final-Eyes, but The NCHERM Group offers an objective and impartial perspective, whereas general counsel are ethically obligated to act to protect their client, the university, and by definition are zealous advocates, not impartial fact-finders. Their client is not the investigator, and that makes a difference, though one may have thought otherwise. Not to suggest there is anything wrong with this — every university should be advised by its attorneys — but for those who seek a fully impartial and highly professionalized set of eyes on these important decisions, this is that option.  OCR requires an impartial determination, so think of Final-Eyes not as general counsel, but as specialized Title IX counsel.

Request Final-Eyes Service
For more information, contact Ryan McDavis, Vice President for Client and Member Services, at (610) 993-0229, ext. 1009.

"The Final-Eyes service has proven invaluable in increasing my confidence as an investigator and report writer, and has provided significant cost savings in legal fees. Brett's prompt reviews and feedback help advance my understanding of Title IX compliance and discover gaps in my thinking. His suggestions are worthwhile and help reduce risk to the college. Great service!"
— Vicki Stanfield, VP for Student Services and Title IX Coordinator, College of the Mainland

Media Contact:     
Michelle Issadore
Email
6109930229

SOURCE The NCHERM Group