• VCU Notice of Nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action
• Preventing and Responding to Discrimination Policy
• VCU’s Lactation Policy

Title IX specifically prohibits discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. Title IX regulation also prohibits a school from applying any rule related to a student’s parental, family, or marital status that treats students differently based on their sex. Under Title IX, it is illegal for schools to exclude a pregnant student from participating in any part of an educational program.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ pamphlet entitled Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (PDF) includes strategies that can be used to address the educational needs of students who become pregnant or have children. Although this pamphlet focuses on secondary schools, the legal principles apply to all recipients of federal financial assistance, including post-secondary institutions.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has additional information regarding pregnancy in this pamphlet, entitled Discrimination Based on Pregnancy and Related Conditions: A Resource for Students and Schools.

In addition to Title IX, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) amended Title VII in 1978 and prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII.