Pregnant and Parenting Students
The district is committed to a positive and productive education free from sex-based discrimination as required by Federal, State, and local laws for all students in its education programs and activities. These laws prohibit discrimination against any student based on their current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions or marital or parental status. Sex-based harassment is a form of sex-based discrimination and includes harassment on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions or marital or parental status.
The district establishes this policy and the accompanying Superintendent’s procedures for ensuring the protection and equal treatment of students who are or become pregnant, individuals with pregnancy-related conditions, and new parents.
Pregnancy or related conditions include:
- Pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation;
- Medical conditions related to the above; or
- Recovery from above.
The district must also not adopt or implement any policy, practice, or procedure concerning a student’s current, potential, or past parental, family, or marital status that treats students differently on the basis of sex, except as necessary to provide pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical accommodations.
This commitment and discrimination prohibition extends to all students involved in academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of the school, whether that program or activity is in a school facility, on school transportation, or at a class or school training held elsewhere.
The district does not engage in prohibited discrimination when it allows a student, based on pregnancy or related conditions, to voluntarily participate in a separate portion of its education program or activity, provided the district ensures that the separate portion is comparable to that offered to students who are not pregnant or parenting, and do not have related conditions.
This policy is a component of the district’s responsibility to create and maintain a safe, civil, respectful, and inclusive learning community and will be implemented in conjunction with comprehensive training of staff and volunteers. Specific notice, training, and compliance requirements are included in the accompanying procedure 3206P.
Investigation and Response / Grievance Procedures
The Superintendent will develop and implement procedures for receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints or reports of sex-based discrimination and will include reasonable and prompt timelines and delineate roles and responsibilities for such. The procedure can be found at 3205P.1.
Complaints alleging discrimination or harassment based on a person’s actual or perceived pregnancy status are to be taken seriously and handled in the same manner as other sex-based discrimination and harassment complaints.
If an investigation reveals that sex-based harassment has created a hostile environment, the district will take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the sex-based harassment, eliminate the hostile environment, prevent its recurrence, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects.
Allegations of criminal misconduct and suspected child abuse will be reported to law enforcement or Child Protective Services as required by law. A criminal investigation does not relieve the district of its independent obligation to investigate and resolve sex-based harassment.
Retaliation and False Allegations
Retaliation, as defined under Federal and State laws and the Superintendent’s procedure, including retaliation by a student against another student, is prohibited and will result in appropriate discipline. The district will take appropriate actions to protect involved persons from retaliation.
It is a violation of this policy to knowingly report false allegations of sex-based discrimination. Persons found to knowingly report or corroborate false allegations will be subject to appropriate discipline as discussed in the Superintendent’s procedure.
This policy and its procedure will support that effort by facilitating district compliance with local, state, and federal laws concerning sex-based discrimination.
Cross References:
3205 – Sex Discrimination of Students Prohibited
3210 – Nondiscrimination
3230 – Searches of Students and Student Privacy
3231 – Student Records
Legal References:
RCW 28A.640.010 Sexual Equality, Purpose – Discrimination Prohibited
RCW 28A.642 Discrimination Prohibition
RCW 49.60.040 Definitions
20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688 Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1973
34 C.F.R. § 106.40, Title IX Regulations (2024 Amendments)
Adoption Date: 11/20/24
Classification: Encouraged
Revised Dates: