Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex – including pregnancy and parental status – in educational programs and activities and in employment.

In 2020, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694) established a pregnant worker’s right to reasonable accommodation, provided they do not impose an undue burden on their employer.

In October 2022, the Office for Civil Rights published “Discrimination Based on Pregnancy and Related Conditions: A Resource for Students and Schools” outlining protections for students.

Impairments resulting from pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, may be disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Family Medical Leave Act

• Title IX offers students protections for pregnancy and related conditions, including pregnancy, childbirth, delivery, post-delivery, expressing breast milk, breastfeeding, medically necessary recovery, post-delivery medical procedures arising from the birth.
• For more information about how Title IX protects students from discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or parenting, see the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights website.

There are resources available for pregnant students and partners of pregnant students. You can schedule an appointment with the Office of Student Accessibility if you have questions about medical accommodations. If you are considering a leave of absence, submit a request in writing to the Dean of Students. The  Office of Student Accessibility can help you to navigate interim measures available to complete academic requirements, such as excused absence, breaks, access to online education, changes in schedule or course sequence, time extensions, alternate assignments, changes in physical space or supplies, and rescheduling exams.

Students who are pregnant, or have a pregnancy-related condition, are entitled to reasonable accommodations to allow the student to continue their educational pursuits as long as such accommodations do not create an undue hardship on the program/department or fundamentally alter the nature of the program:  Examples of reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to:

• Flexibility with attendance including excused absences
• Breaks during class
• Allowing frequent trips to the restroom
• Deadline extensions
• Rescheduling tests or exams
• Alternatives to make up missed work
• Changes in work schedules
• Parking and transportation access
• Medical leave of absence, including allowing the student to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before the medical leave began
• Providing pregnant students with the same special services as other students with temporary medical conditions such as independent study, remote classrooms, or other similar types of academic adjustments
• Long-term conditions such as postpartum depression or permanent medical issues arising from pregnancy can be accommodated through the Office of Student Accessibility.

If you wish to request accommodation due to pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, please complete the OSA Registration request.

You are not required to share any medical information directly with your professors. Medical documentation may be required for securing accommodations through the OSA. You will need to communicate with your professors about the academic needs you may have and the alternatives they may identify for you – but you do not need to disclose your pregnancy or any other medical information. If you receive accommodations through OSA, your medical details/diagnosis are not shared with the professor except to the extent necessary to implement the accommodations. For example, if you are on bedrest for a period of time and can only participate in classes remotely, your remote participation will be disclosed but not the underlying reason for your bedrest.

Partners/spouses can receive excused absence for delivery, as well as for doctor appointments related to pregnancy.

Yes. You can do this by contacting the Office of Student Accessibility to schedule a time to discuss your absence.

Once you have engaged the Office of Student Accessibility to receive accommodations/interim measures, your faculty may wish to give you alternate assignments or exams to preserve the integrity of the academic work required for their course/s.  However, if you feel that your faculty are not giving you reasonable and appropriate alternatives, please contact the Dean of Students to discuss your concerns.

No.  A student who is pregnant or has given birth may not be required to submit medical certification for participation in education activities or programs unless such certification is also required for all other students with physical or emotional conditions requiring the attention of a physician.

A Designated Lactation Room is located in the lower level of the Saints Center, Room 112.

We do not tolerate sex-based discrimination or harassment, including harassment based on pregnancy and related conditions. If you believe you are experiencing harassment based on your pregnancy or related conditions, please contact the Title IX Coordinator, who can help you understand your rights under Title IX.

As long as the student remains enrolled and in good standing when the student is not medically required to be absent, the student will not lose their scholarship due to pregnancy.

Besides ensuring that pregnant students are able to attend class, does a school also have to permit them to access clubs and organizations?

• Title IX prohibits a school from excluding a pregnant student from any part of its education program, including all extracurricular activities such as school clubs, organizations, academic societies, honors programs, and athletics.
• Title IX also protects pregnant students’ participation in off-campus programs such as internships, experiential education, service learning, cooperative education (“co-op”), and career rotations.

• You are still protected under Title IX. In addition, as an employee, you may request reasonable accommodations for pregnancy related conditions. Please reach out to the Director of Human Resources.

Yes, graduate and teaching assistants are entitled to reasonable accommodations in the workplace.

Thomas More Counseling Services

Thomas More Community and Wellness Resources

Community Resources

Thomas More Student Health Services (not to take the place of prenatal care)

Note: For pregnancy testing, the school nurse refers students to New Hope Pregnancy Center. For STI/STD testing, the school nurse refers to Northern Kentucky Health Department for testing.