Course Overview

This course starts with the basics of Title IX and its applicability to sex discrimination and sex-based harassment in K-12 and higher education. Our foundational-level Title IX Investigator training equips participants with the knowledge needed to complete compliant, timely, thorough, and trauma-informed investigations.

*Due to the release of the new Title IX regulations in April 2024, the IX Institute students enrolling in Level I training courses under the 2020 Title IX Regulations will receive a free enrollment to an addendum course for their role to ensure they receive training following the implementation of the newest Title IX Final Rule.

  • Describe the role of a Title IX Investigator as it relates to the formal grievance process.

  • Understand investigation procedural requirements under Title IX.

  • Identify steps to designing a thorough investigation plan.

  • Develop a trauma-informed interviewing style, including crafting sound questions.

  • Prepare a comprehensive and informative investigation report.

Course curriculum

    1. Course Introduction and Instructions

    2. Pre-Course Assessment

    3. Meet Our Speakers

    1. Lesson and Speaker Introduction

    2. History of Title IX

    3. Title IX Definitions

    4. Participants in the Title IX Process

    5. Overview of the Title IX Process

    1. Lesson and Speaker Introduction

    2. Introduction to the Title IX Regulations

    3. Sexual Harassment and Recipient Response

    4. Title IX Grievance Process for Formal Complaints

    1. Lesson and Speaker Introduction

    2. Role of the Title IX Investigator

    1. Lesson and Speaker Introduction

    2. Forming an Investigative Team

    3. Reviewing Key Documents

    4. Drafting an Investigative Plan

    1. Lesson and Speaker Introduction

    2. Preparing a Preamble

    3. Recording Interviews

    4. Building Rapport and Trust

    5. Questioning the Parties

    6. Interviewing Minors

About this course

  • $750.00
  • 9 hours of Title IX content
  • Downloadable course material
  • 32 unique lessons

Meet Your Instructors

*These are just a few of the experts you'll meet throughout the course.

Thomas A. Denton

Founder & Director of Investigations

Tom Denton is a founding member of Title IX Solutions, LLC and Tactical 97 Group, LLC. He is a retired Chief of Police and career law enforcement officer with over 31 years of public service with municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. In 2005, he founded Tactical Investigations, LLC and has been a licensed private detective for 14 years. Tom has extensive experience investigating child sexual assaults and Title IX violations. He has received specialized training in Forensic Child Interviewing and state-of-the-art Trauma Informed Interviewing techniques. He is a certified Title IX Investigator. Tom was a sworn Special Federal Officer with an F.B.I. Violent Crimes Task Force in the Southern District of Illinois. He specialized in electronic surveillance and suspect interviews. Tom investigated organized criminal enterprises concentrating on large scale drug trafficking, weapons, and gang violence.

Elizabeth Abdnour, J.D.

Investigator & Advisor

Elizabeth (Liz) Abdnour is an experienced civil rights and employment attorney. She represents students and provides investigative, consulting, and training services to educational institutions, groups, and nonprofits of all sizes. After a career in legal services, where she learned how to advocate for underserved clients from a trauma-informed perspective and supervised a law school practice clinic, Liz transitioned into higher education where she spent three years in the civil rights office at a large and grant university. Liz then opened her own law and consulting practice where she now serves both individual and institutional clients. The combination of Liz’s legal experience and her years as an investigator and equity coordinator give her unparalleled expertise regarding educational institutions’ obligations with respect to civil rights and Title IX response.

Susanna Murphy, J.D.

Investigator & Advisor

Susanna Murphy began her work as an independent Title IX advisor and investigator after 20 years of legal experience, first as a trial attorney and then as an investigator, in the criminal justice system. Susanna serves as an advisor for both complainants and respondents, as well as an independent investigator. She also has testified as an expert witness on Title IX investigations and provided educational prevention programming to private secondary schools and college and university organizations. Throughout her career, Susanna has put respect, discretion, objectivity, attention to detail and professionalism as her top priorities in every Title IX case. She is mindful of the sensitive nature of these kinds of allegations and is skilled at making parties and witnesses as comfortable as possible while discussing topics of a very sensitive nature.

Course pricing

For group discounts (four or more) or offline invoicing, please contact our Training Coordinator, Cara Kuhn:

[email protected]