As Acting Director of the University’s Office of Civil Rights and Investigations (OCRI), I oversee investigations and preparation of written reports and makes recommendation for findings and remedies. As the University’s Title IX Coordinator, I am responsible for Title IX compliance in matters involving faculty, staff and students, including training, education and investigation of complaints. As the University’s ADA Coordinator, I am responsible for ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to persons with disabilities.

The director of the Office of Civil Rights and Investigations oversees investigations and preparation of written reports and makes recommendations for findings and remedies. The director is responsible for Title IX compliance in matters involving faculty, staff, and students, including training, education, and investigation of complaints. The director also works with the Associate Dean of Students to coordinate investigations where the person accused of sexual misconduct is a student.

Using my 15 years of experience representing and regulating educational institutions, I help clients with labor and employment, civil rights law, business transactions, ed-tech, redistricting, general school law, board counseling, policy development, conflicts of interest, open government, higher education, special education, disability law, student issues, constitutional law, government relations, public policy, training, compliance, and more. I consult on state and federal litigation on topics such as civil rights law (including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, and Section 504 and the ADA), other employment disputes, and breach ofcontract (student/higher education and commercial). I represent clients in administrative proceedings (such as OCR, EEOC, and state equivalents). I conduct special investigations and audits. I train schools, colleges, and universities across the country on Title IX and other civil rights and equity issues. I serve as an expert witness in federal Title IX lawsuits. Please review my full firm bio, linked below and available online at https://www.thompsonhorton.com/people/jackie-gharapour-wernz/.

I represented schools, colleges, and universities in all aspects of education and labor and employment law.

The Office for Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination, including harassment, and retaliation in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. At OCR, I timely managed a large, diverse caseload of complaints alleging discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age, and retaliation against educational institutions under Federal civil rights laws. I evaluated, investigated, negotiated resolution of, prepared letters of findings for, and monitored agreements resolving complaints. In investigations, I interviewed witnesses, gathered, reviewed, and analyzed data, and wrote letters of findings and resolution agreements. Representative cases include Title IX athletics, Title IX sexual harassment, sexual assault/violence, and athletics, Title VI race discrimination and harassment, disability discrimination, and retaliation investigations.My experience gained in Title IX matters at OCR was particularly unique. I handled a relatively large caseload of Title IX cases, including those involving athletics, sexual harassment, and assault and violence.

I participated in complex commercial litigation defense at trial and appellate levels, including authoring appellate motion related to review of multibillion-dollar verdict against Fortune 500 corporation. I served on the firm's Higher Education Committee.

I conducted complex discovery in class-action discrimination lawsuit for K-12 public school district. I advised education entities on a wide range of education and labor and employment matters, including Title IV matters, accreditation issues, and drafting and revising policies, procedures, and handbooks. Practice Areas: Education; Labor & Employment; Appellate and Critical Motions; Litigation.