Troy University will now be required to make better accommodations for pregnant students following a Title IX investigation by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The federal agency first began its investigation into Troy in December 2020 after a pregnant student claimed the university’s Title IX coordinator failed to provide her with a larger desk so she could attend classes, to communicate with her professors on how to accommodate her when she missed class because of medical issues, and to intervene when the student alerted the Title IX office about issues in class.

As a result, the student failed one class because she was not allowed to make up work and received a failing grade in another because her grade was based on attendance.

“OCR has a concern that the university did not make reasonable and responsive adjustments in response to the complainant’s pregnancy-related requests,” Scott Sausser, supervisory general attorney for OCR wrote in a letter to Troy notifying them of the results of the investigation.

“At the time of the incidents at issue here, the university provided pregnant students no information, either in its 2020- 2021 Student Handbook or on its website about how students could seek adjustments related to pregnancy, and one professor interviewed by OCR had not received training regarding Title IX’s application to pregnant students.”

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal money.

The law also requires schools to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant students.

The Office for Civil Rights laid out several conditions for Troy that must be completed this year, including developing new policies to make adjustments for pregnant students; publishing information on the university’s website about what pregnant students are entitled to and how they can request accommodations; training all staff on their obligations to pregnant students; and developing a tracking system for accommodation requests.

“I thank Troy University for addressing the pregnancy-related needs of the student who came to OCR for help and for ensuring that, going forward, it will provide pregnant students equal access to the university’s courses and other offerings,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon.