U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights Issues New Guidance to Help Protect the Rights of Pregnant and Parenting Students, Says NWLC

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance to all federally funded education programs on the Title IX rights of students who are pregnant or parents.  The guidance spells out schools’ legal obligations to give pregnant students and those who are parents equal educational opportunities, a critical responsibility when pregnancy and parenting responsibilities are leading causes of dropout for young women.  The National Women’s Law Center receives a steady stream of complaints from students at the middle school, high school, college, and even graduate school levels who are illegally pushed out of school because of their pregnancies or not given accommodations available to other students to help keep them in school. 

The following is a statement by Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center:

“Too many schools treat pregnant students and students who are parents like lost causes.  All too often, these students are discouraged from continuing their education and experience illegal sex discrimination and harassment, including punitive absence policies that push them out of school.  It’s no wonder that so many students fall between the cracks of an educational system that fails to address their very real needs.  We applaud the Office for Civil Right’s clear guidance on the legal obligation of schools and the rights of these students.   Forty-one years after the passage of Title IX, it’s past time for schools to support these students and boost their graduation rates.  This renewed effort will create a valuable payoff:  more students will graduate and gain the education they need for themselves and their families in our competitive economy.” 

###