Pregnancy and Related Condiditions

Protections for Pregnancy and Related Conditions

The goal of Title IX is to safeguard students and employees from experiencing sex discrimination, and to ensure everyone’s equal access to educational programming and institutional sponsored activities. One tactic towards attaining that goal is to extend Title IX protections to students and employees experiencing pregnancy or related conditions. Pregnancy and related conditions, as defined by the 2024 Title IX regulations, include pregnancy, childbirth, loss or termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, or recovery from these conditions.

Institutions who receive federal funding, such as PLU, are obligated by Title IX to provide reasonable modifications for students experiencing pregnancy or related conditions, reasonable break time for employees for lactation, and a clean, private lactation space for both students and employees to use. 

Pregnant students and employees are encouraged to contact the University Title IX Coordinator to discuss their rights afforded to them under Title IX. The Title IX Coordinator, following an individual needs assessment with the student/employee, will help organize with faculty and staff the reasonable modifications necessary to assist the student/employee while they are navigating their pregnancy or related conditions. Some examples of the reasonable modifications that may be implemented include, but are not limited to, access to a larger desk, class location reassignment to a building with an elevator, coursework deadline extensions, excused absences relating to medical appointments, or exam rescheduling. Reasonable modifications may not fundamentally alter the nature or designed outcomes of the program. For example, it is not reasonable for a nursing student to attend required in-person clinicals virtually. 

Students and employees may also be eligible for a voluntary leave of absence. The length of leave is determined by what is deemed medically necessary. A student who returns from taking a leave of absence due to pregnancy or related conditions, will be reinstated to the same academic status they had when they left.

Required Information Sharing

The 2024 Title IX regulations require that when a student informs a PLU’s employee of the student’s pregnancy or related conditions, the employee provides that person with the Title IX Coordinator’s contact information and informs that person that the Title IX Coordinator can coordinate specific actions to prevent sex discrimination and ensure the student’s equal access to the education program or activity.