Louisiana School Mandates Pregnancy Tests and Violates Title IX

Think that school policies that shun pregnant students and push them out of school are a thing of the past?

Think again.

A public charter school in Delhi, Louisiana says that students who they “suspect of being pregnant” must submit to a pregnancy test. And, according to their written policy, “if the test indicates that the student is pregnant, the student will not be permitted to attend classes…” As we outlined in our report, A Pregnancy Test for Schools, policies like the Louisiana one clearly violate the U.S. Constitution and Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in schools.

Earlier this week, the ACLU sent the school a letter demanding that the school immediately end the practice of forced pregnancy tests and stop excluding pregnant students. There is also a petition asking the school to remove the discriminatory policy.

Policies like the one in Delhi demonstrate that while the Constitution and federal law clearly prohibit discrimination against pregnant and parenting students, it continues across the country. According to a study released in 2010, only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by the age of 22. Nearly one-third of teenage mothers never earn a G.E.D. or a diploma. The discrimination that pregnant young women face in school plays a big role in those dire statistics.

Does your school discriminate against pregnant and parenting students? If so, we want to hear about it. To find out more about more about the laws that protect pregnant and parenting students and what you can do to advocate for fair policies at your school go to www.nwlc.org/pregnancytestforschools.