(Excerpts from Dept of Education News)

• Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of a student’s complaint of pregnancy discrimination against Salt Lake Community College, in Utah.
• OCR determined that the college violated both Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) after investigating allegations that Salt Lake Community College encouraged a pregnant student to drop a course because she was pregnant, did not engage in an interactive process to provide her with academic adjustments or necessary services during her pregnancy, and did not excuse her pregnancy-related absences or allow her later to submit work following those absences.
• OCR found that the college violated Title IX and its implementing regulations by failing: (1) to respond promptly and equitably to the student’s complaint of pregnancy discrimination, (2) to engage in an interactive process with the student to determine the appropriate special services and/or academic adjustments to provide in light of her pregnancy, and (3) to excuse her absences related to pregnancy, provide her the opportunity to make up work missed due to these pregnancy-related absences, or provide her with alternatives to making up missed work at a later date.
• In addition, OCR found that the college violated Section 504 and its implementing regulations by failing to engage in an interactive process with the student and to consider whether her pregnancy caused a temporary disability requiring academic adjustments.