A student at Logan College of Chiropractic/University Programs recently learned that her emergency Cesarean section didn’t qualify as a valid excuse for missing class.

Yes, really.

Lauren Ingeno of Inside Higher Ed reports.

Childbirth Doesn’t Count?

A Missouri college’s policy that fails to excuse students for pregnancy-related absences violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, says a complaint filed by the National Women’s Law Center.

From her hospital bed, just hours before her emergency Caesarean section, Brandi Kostal sent an e-mail to the dean of student services at Logan College of Chiropractic/University Programs regarding the college’s attendance policy.

After Kostal, a student in the college’s chiropractic program, sent a follow-up e-mail, Dean of Student Services James Paine responded a week later, writing:  “Please find the attendance policy attached. Unfortunately, child birth is not currently listed as an event for which attendance is excused.”

Fearful of receiving an “Attendance Failure” grade, which is a penalty for students who miss more than 15 percent of classes at Logan, Kostal returned to her classes 11 days after her emergency Caesarean delivery — even though she had obtained a letter from a doctor saying that she was a “high risk” patient and would be “incapacitated for recovery” from her delivery date in March until the beginning of May.

Under Title IX, “A school must excuse a student’s absence because of pregnancy or childbirth for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences medically necessary. When a student returns to school, she must be allowed to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before her medical leave began.” This language was reiterated in a “Dear Colleague” letter, which was sent by Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to colleges in June. The letter, along with an accompany pamphlet of guidance and best practices, reminded colleges that they have legal responsibilities to support pregnant and parenting students.