LMU is committed to providing an educational and employment environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes discrimination based on current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions.
What is Title IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, or “Title IX,” is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The law is a key tool for ensuring that all people have an equal opportunity for education, regardless of their sex or gender. On April 29, 2024, the Department of Education released its Title IX Final Rule (“2024 Rule”) amending the scope and application of Title IX.
Title IX’s Final Rule provides clarification regarding discrimination on the basis of sex, including on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, miscarriage, end of pregnancy, or related conditions, including recovery. The 2024 Rule ensures the rights of pregnant and postpartum students to receive necessary accommodations at school when needed and to take medically necessary leave. The law also prohibits harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in schools due to pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. It applies to all aspects of an educational program, including school-sponsored extracurricular activities, internships, athletics, financial aid and scholarships, career counseling, and lab and clinical work.
Voluntary Leave of Absence for Students
Students must be allowed to take time off from school for pregnancy or related medical conditions for as long as their licensed healthcare provider deems it medically necessary. That could mean a few absences for necessary medical appointments or a longer leave of absence for a high-risk pregnancy or childbirth. This rule applies even if taking medically necessary leave would require an absence for longer than the school’s leave policy ordinarily allows. Students cannot be penalized for taking leave and must be able to return to school in the same status they held before taking leave.
Modifications for Students
Schools are required to provide pregnant students and students with pregnancy-related conditions with “reasonable academic adjustments.” Those are changes to policies, procedures, and practices to allow the student equitable access to education in light of their health needs. Examples of common reasonable academic adjustments include:
- A larger or different desk
- Breaks during class, labs, or exams to eat, drink, use the restroom, or pump milk
- Parking or elevator access
- Access to online classes or coursework
- Changes in schedule or course sequence
- Extensions on deadlines and rescheduling tests
For more information regarding student rights regarding pregnancy and related medical conditions, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at sara.trivedi@lmu.edu or 310.568.6105.
For information regarding faculty/staff rights regarding pregnancy, please contact Human Resources at 310.338.2723 or HR@lmu.edu.