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A pregnant student at Georgetown University has allegedly been told by the prestigious university’s administration she must sit for an in-person exam just days after giving birth.
On Friday (November 22), students at the private university in Washington, D.C. organized a petition on behalf of second-year classmate Brittany Lovely, who is preparing to welcome her first child in early December.
According to the petition, the administration at Georgetown Law had allegedly “denied Brittany’s request for reasonable accommodations in violation of Title IX,” a landmark federal law that prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against students based on sex.
Lovely, who has an in-person final exam scheduled for December 13, had purportedly requested accommodations to either take the exam early or take the exam from home postpartum. She had contended to take the test at the same time as her in-person classmates on the same date, or on the university’s deferral dates beginning three days later.
“Georgetown Law denied her recommendations, stating that it would be inequitable to all the other non-birthing students in her class,” the petition read.
Organizers claimed that the administration had suggested Lovely “bring her days-old child to campus a few days after birth, with minimal recovery, to take the exam with more time so she can breastfeed her newborn baby during the exam.”
Despite Lovely’s professor agreeing to let her take her exam early, Georgetown Law student Divya Goel confirmed on X/Twitter, that the school allegedly told the pregnant law student: “Motherhood is not for the faint of heart.”
Lovely’s classmates argued that her request for an accommodation was not in violation of Title IX because the statute protects students from discrimination based on “current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions.”
“The accommodations Brittany requested (taking the exam early when the finals period begins and/or from home just days after giving birth) are reasonable and are not in any way inequitable, nor do they harm my education at Georgetown,” they said.
“We urge Georgetown University Law Center’s administration to approve her accommodations and hold Georgetown Law’s promise of supporting the whole student, including those who are pregnant.”
The Independent has contacted Goel and the petition’s organizers for comment.
As listed on the Georgetown Law website, the university’s current Title IX policy “prohibits sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and discrimination based on pregnancy or parenting status.”
The school also instructs students to “request adjustments based on general pregnancy needs or accommodations based on a pregnancy-related condition.” These adjustments include larger desks, breaks during class, excusing absences due to pregnancy or related conditions, rescheduling tests or exams, submitting work after a deadline missed due to pregnancy or childbirth, or providing alternatives to make up missed work.
Accommodations at Georgetown Law are directed to the school’s Accessibility Services, which requires students to complete a request form and speak with the Law Center’s deputy Title IX coordinator.
In a statement to The Independent, a university spokesperson said: “Georgetown is committed to providing a caring, supportive environment for pregnant and parenting students. We have reached a mutually agreeable solution with the student who raised concerns.”
Most recently, efforts to expand protections for LGBT+ students under Title IX have been blocked by courts and conservative grassroots organizations, such as Moms For Liberty.
In August, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling by lower courts in Louisiana and Kentucky that allowed 26 states to temporarily block President Joe Biden’s efforts to protect transgender students from discrimination.
The Biden administration unveiled the new rules in 2021, which aimed to redefine “sex discrimination” under Title IX to include “sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”
