A Delhi Charter School policy preventing pregnant students from attending school—and permitting the school to require a student to take a pregnancy test to continue attending school if administrators suspect she’s expecting—is drawing the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union. The (Monroe) News-Star reports the ACLU sent a letter Monday requesting the school revise its policy or the group will consider further legal action. Caroline Roemer Shirley, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Charter Schools, agrees the policy could be problematic. Pregnant students wishing to continue attending Delhi Charter—located in the small northeastern Louisiana town of Delhi, which has a population of roughly 3,000—will be required to enroll in a home study course while pregnant. The letter from the ACLU contends that the policy violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 because it excludes students from educational programs. “They’re punishing girls for making the choice to have the child,” says Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. Read the full story here.
Today’s poll question: Do you think any school should be allowed to have a policy in place requiring its students to take a pregnancy test in certain situations?
