Pregnant and Parenting

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including pregnancy and parental status, in educational programs and activities.

The Title IX Coordinator is the college official who assists students and staff who are pregnant or parenting or experiencing life situations related to pregnancy under Title IX and Texas Laws S.B. 412, H.B. 1361 and S.B. 459.

Dr. Sarah David,
Title IX Coordinator,
1200 N. Amburn Rd. Texas City, TX 77591
409-933-8413
titleix@com.edu

Pregnancy

Your success is important to us! Students are not obligated to disclose their pregnancy or related conditions to faculty, staff, or other employees. However, for approval of accommodations/modifications, students must inform a designated COM official with the authority to assess and approve such requests. To ensure prompt processing, students are advised to seek assistance as soon as they anticipate the need for an accommodation.

COM is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for pregnant students or those with pregnancy-related conditions. These accommodations aim to offer ongoing support and address specific needs. Examples include, but are not limited to, providing a larger desk, allowing makeup exams, accommodating restroom breaks, and other reasonable adjustments to support your pregnancy. Approval for accommodations can extend to pre-natal doctor appointments, childbirth, false pregnancy, miscarriage, and any other pregnancy-related health issues, as well as recovery from these conditions.

Excused Absences:

The rules state that an institution must allow excused absences related to pregnancy or childbirth without a doctor’s certification of 5 school days, or 10 school days over a 30-day period. Further, a college “shall permit but not require” childbirth leave of absence up to a semester without showing medical need.

Example accommodations include:

Flexible Attendance: This includes excused tardiness and an unlimited number of excused absences with no grade penalty. It also includes the ability to complete course requirements at home when feasible and submit them electronically. In addition, the student is entitled to an extension for assignment due dates. If the student is unable to meet course objectives, then you may request alternatives such as a grade of Incomplete or withdrawal from the course
Class Section Change (e.g. in-person to online)
Limited Exposure to Potentially Dangerous Substances (e.g., Lab or Clinical)
Limited Lifting • Limited Standing • Separate or Different Table/Chair
Restroom Use (e.g., frequency)

Parenting

As a component of our supportive initiatives, COM offers reasonable accommodations for students navigating parenthood. Assistance is accessible to students entering parenthood through childbirth, adoption, kinship placement, and/or foster care placement, and may be granted to address evolving needs. These reasonable accommodations encompass options such as express breaks, flexible attendance for attending medical appointments, early access to and/or extension of assignment or exam deadlines, or the possibility of an Incomplete.

Process

Requesting and Receiving Services

The Title IX Coordinator is available to support you in securing accommodations for pregnancy, post-pregnancy, and parenting. Initiating accommodation requests early is crucial for effective preparation and planning to ensure your success. The process for obtaining reasonable accommodations is an interactive one that commences with the student disclosing their needs. Follow the steps below to request and receive accommodations:

Student starts the process by applying for an accommodation through our online form.
Student takes responsibility for providing the Title IX Coordinator with appropriate documentation from a qualified physician or clinician. Offer the Title IX Coordinator documentation from the treating medical provider, including the due date, any restrictions, and other pertinent details. For adoption or foster care placement, letters from the placement agency or overseeing organization would be beneficial.
Title IX Coordinator works together with the student to evaluate needed Title IX accommodations.
The Title IX Coordinator provides the approved accommodation letter to the student to share with the appropriate party and assists with implementation and questions related to extensions, approved time out of classes and returning to class.

Access the Accommodation Request Form

*NOTE: Pregnant students are encouraged to seek assistance for excused absences or accommodations as quickly as possible. Pregnant students seeking assistance during the semester of enrollment will have better options than those notifying the College of their situation after the semester has ended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. May COM require a pregnant student to obtain a doctor’s permission before allowing her to attend college late in her pregnancy if the college is worried about the student’s health or safety?

A. No. Colleges cannot require a pregnant student to provide a doctor’s note in order to stay in class or participate in activities, including interscholastic sports, unless the same requirement to obtain a doctor’s note applies to all students being treated by a doctor.

Q. Can COM require a pregnant student to participate in a separate program for pregnant students?

A. No. Any such requirement would violate Title IX. COM may offer separate programs for a pregnant student, but participation in those programs must be completely voluntary. A pregnant student must be allowed to remain in her regular classes and college if she so chooses.

Q. Does a college have to excuse a student’s absences due to pregnancy or childbirth?

A. Yes. Title IX requires a college to excuse a student’s absences due to pregnancy or related conditions, including recovery from childbirth, for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences to be medically necessary.

Q. In addition to allowing a pregnant student to attend classes, does COM need to allow her to participate in college clubs, class activities, interscholastic sports, and other school-sponsored organizations?

A. Yes. Title IX prohibits a college from excluding a pregnant student from any part of its educational program, including all extracurricular activities, such as college clubs, academic societies, honors programs, or interscholastic sports.

Q. Can harassing a student because of pregnancy violate Title IX?

A. Yes. Title IX prohibits harassment of students based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions. Harassing conduct can take many forms, including verbal acts and name-calling, graphic and written statements, and other conduct that may be humiliating, physically threatening, or harmful.

Q. Does COM need to provide special services to a pregnant student?

A. Yes. Title IX requires colleges to provide the same special services to pregnant students that it provides to students with temporary medical conditions.

Q. What if some faculty members at the college have their own policies about class attendance and make-up work?

A. Every college that receives federal financial assistance is bound by Title IX. Colleges must ensure that the policies and practices of individual faculty members do not discriminate against pregnant students.

Q. What types of assistance must a college provide a pregnant student at the college?

A. To ensure a pregnant student’s access to regular classes, when necessary, a college must make adjustments to the regular program that are reasonable and responsive to the student’s temporary pregnancy status. For example, a college might provide a larger desk, allow frequent trips to the bathroom, or permit temporary access to elevators.

Nursing Parent Information

Definitions

The terms “breastfeeding students,” “nursing students,” and “lactating students” are used interchangeably and are intended to include any student who expresses milk for the nourishment of their child.

Express Breaks/Lactation Room

Students will make reasonable efforts to pump between classes or outside of instruction time. Students who need to use the nursing room during a portion of their class period should contact the Title IX Coordinator to set up accommodations.

Instructors and students shall work together to identify solutions for making up in-class work or participation credits, as well as instruction missed.

Our Wellness Lactation Room for Nursing Parents Express/Privacy location:
STEAM 231-1

Alternative locations are available upon request. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator if you require a different location.