Office of Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funding. Under Title IX, sexual discrimination includes harassment on the basis of sex.

This can take many forms including:

• Verbal or written harassment
• Sexual assault, including rape and other unwanted sexual touching
• Stalking (when done on the basis of sex)
• Dating or domestic violence

Schools are legally required to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments. Failure to do so means a school could risk losing federal funding and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) ensures compliance with Title IX.

The Texas Southern University Office of Title IX (“OTIX”) is pleased to offer resources which provide support to any student, faculty, or staff member of the institution who has been affected by an incident of sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct. 

You do not have to file a formal report or press criminal charges to receive assistance. Whether you are looking for counseling and emotional support; academic, housing, or work accommodations; or to learn more about reporting and investigations, your campus Resource Person can help you find the resources that best fit your individual situation.

Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• Notifying faculty for a student’s absences or missed work
• Advocating for flexibility in assignments or deadlines
• Making referrals to resources both on and off campus to meet an individual’s needs of personal health, safety, and security
• Assisting parties in understanding the complaint and grievance process from start to finish
• Connecting both Complainants and Respondents with Advisors provided by the University, if desired or needed

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities. Pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions protected by Title IX consist of the student’s pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, and medical conditions related to or recovery from these.

• Reasonable modifications may be offered to allow a pregnant student to participate in educational activities, so long as these accommodations do not result in a fundamental alteration of an educational program/activity or impose an undue burden on TSU.
• A student’s absences that are medically necessary due to pregnancy will be excused like any other excused absence so long as the required documentation is provided. Students are still expected to make up any academic requirements by their academic program’s policies.
• A student may take a voluntary leave of absence due to pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions under TSU’s Leave of Absence Policy for a minimum period a licensed healthcare provider deems medically necessary, and longer if permitted under university policy. The student will be reinstated to the same academic status (and extracurricular status, to the extent practical) when the leave begins. For certain professional schools, due to the nature of the curriculum and clinical experiences, a student may not be able to start back in the same semester where they left off but may need to take the course at the next course offering. This may result in a delay in program completion.
• There may be certain circumstances where a student does not qualify for a voluntary leave of absence under TSU’s Leave of Absence Policy. In such an event, the student should work with their college to determine whether they qualify for an administrative break in enrollment under their specific college policy.
• Students who are lactating will be provided with access to a safe, clean, private space that is not a restroom. Options for making up academic requirements and for temporary modifications vary depending on the student’s academic program requirements, the timing and duration of the student’s documented pregnancy-related need, and the nature of the academic requirement(s) missed. Caretaking of a partner/spouse, childcare, or baby bonding is not justification for modifications under Title IX. 

Apply for Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations

Documentation Requirements:

Documentation must be provided by a licensed healthcare provider who is not a family member of the student. Given the nature of pregnancy and related conditions, the medical documentation may reflect anticipated needs (e.g., anticipated date of delivery/termination, or anticipated routine appointments), ongoing functional needs (e.g., bedrest requirements, lactation needs, mobility or geographic limitations), and recent past medical emergencies (e.g., early delivery, unanticipated hospitalization due to complications, etc.). While there is no deadline to submit documentation or request modifications, documentation should be submitted as soon as reasonably possible to maximize the options available to the student as the academic opportunities may be limited in some circumstances. Pregnancy-related documentation may be submitted by a student who is a birthparent or a non-birthparent. Still, the pregnancy-related medical necessity for absences and/or limitations must be documented for the student seeking reasonable modification(s). Sufficient medical information must be provided by a licensed healthcare provider to enable the Title IX Coordinator to reasonably determine the nature, date, time, and duration of any medically necessary functional pregnancy-related absence, need, or limitation.

Please secure documentation from your physician of your pregnancy-related medical condition and make sure that your physician explains how it is connected to your pregnancy and how. Also, please sign this Medical Release for the Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Cynthia Buckley, to obtain this information. Documentation must be on the letterhead or the prescription pad of the licensed care provider and must reflect the following: 

• Name and signature of licensed care provider 
• Name of student being seen by the care provider/requesting modification 
• Verification of pregnancy/parental status 
• Anticipated date of delivery (or date of procedure/termination) 
• Date of issuance of documentation 
• Medical necessity/relation to pregnancy: sufficient information to indicate why the absence, need, or limitation is both medically necessary for the student and relates to the pregnancy. 
• Nature of absence, medical need, or functional limitation(s): sufficient information to verify how the pregnancy or related condition prevents the student from fully participating in their education. 
• Date, time, and duration of absence or functional limitation due to the medically necessary pregnancy-related condition. 
• Modifications requested: the nature of the modifications or accommodations being requested by the student to be able to participate in their education.

Additional Information

The OTIX strives to offer fair, equitable, and individualized support to Complainants, Respondents, and Witnesses affected by Title IX-related matters. OTIX is able to refer individuals to critical resources on campus and in the community, this includes referrals to confidential resources.

For more information regarding supportive resources, please email  titleix@tsu.edu