Know Your Rights

What is Title IX?

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy or parental status, in education programs and activities that received federal financial assistance. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion. 

Who does it protect?

It protects students, staff, faculty, and campus visitors from discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, or related conditions. Title IX ensures the right to take medically necessary leave and to be free of harassment, intimidation, or other discrimination because of pregnancy-related conditions.  

What is Penn required to do?

The University must: 

1. Allow pregnant students to continue to participate in academic and extracurricular activity of their choice, while providing reasonable accommodations as needed.
2. Students must be allowed to take time off of school for pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion and/or recovery for as long as their doctor says is 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.   
3. Protect you from harassment related to your pregnant or parenting status. 
4. Penn's Title IX Office: https://titleixoffice.upenn.edu/home, contact titleIXofficer@upenn.edu. 

The Family Center provides advising! If you have questions or concerns about your pregnancy leave or accommodations and/or Title IX we are here to listen, advocate on your behalf, and connect you to more resources. Contact our staff at familycenter@upenn.edu to set up an advising appointment.