A university in Virginia is facing a lawsuit for allegedly mishandling disciplinary proceedings that led to the suspension and expulsion of a student accused of sexual misconduct. The complaint was filed by John Doe on November 24, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia against Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and several of its employees.
The case revolves around two separate allegations made against Doe by fellow students Pauline Poe and Jane Roe. Doe claims that his rights were violated during the investigation and adjudication processes, leading to wrongful disciplinary actions. According to the complaint, these proceedings lacked due process as required under the Fourteenth Amendment, Title IX regulations, and other applicable laws. The plaintiff alleges that university officials were biased against him from the start, ignoring evidence that could have exonerated him.
Doe’s complaint outlines a series of alleged procedural missteps by Virginia Tech officials. In one instance, he claims that investigators advised an accuser to withhold evidence because it was deemed too traumatic. Furthermore, Doe asserts that hearings were conducted without allowing his attorney to cross-examine witnesses properly, including the accusers. He argues that these actions violated his rights to procedural and substantive due process under both federal law and university policy.
In addition to procedural violations, Doe contends that Virginia Tech’s Title IX administration operates under a presumption of guilt for male students accused of sexual misconduct. This bias is allegedly fueled by external pressures from campus activists and past interventions by federal authorities like Catherine Lhamon from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Doe seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and another $10 million in punitive damages from Virginia Tech. He also requests injunctive relief requiring the university to overturn its disciplinary decisions against him and remove any related notations from his academic records.
The legal team representing John Doe includes attorneys who specialize in civil rights litigation. The case has been assigned Case No. 7:25-CV-00846-TTC-CKM with Judge Thomas T. Cullen presiding over the matter.
