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Dismantling the Department of Education puts Pregnant and Parenting Students’ Rights at Risk
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 8) – Today, in response to President Trump’s March 20th executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, the Coalition for Pregnant and Parenting Students Advocacy condemns the decision to attack the Department, given its important role in enforcing civil rights and protecting pregnant and postpartum students from sex discrimination.
Despite extremists’ attempts over the last decades to eliminate the Department of Education, only Congress has the power to abolish the department. This executive order is an attempt to bypass Congress and break up the Department, piece by piece. Already, the large-scale layoffs instituted by Secretary Linda McMahon’s reduction in force impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce, have gutted its ability to function and properly investigate complaints and enforce civil rights laws.
As a diverse group of advocates and experts dedicated to advancing civil rights protections and institutional resources for pregnant and parenting students, we have seen firsthand how essential the Department of Education is to safeguard students’ rights. Pregnant, postpartum, and parenting students are entitled to learn in a safe and welcoming environment – yet they face many barriers, including conduct that violates the guarantees of Title IX. A robust, fully functioning Office for Civil Rights is essential to enforcing Title IX and ensuring that these students are able to succeed in school.
Marium Hussein, a member of the Coalition’s Student Council, noted: “I’m not sure how I would have completed school without the protection of Title IX. Through the challenges of pregnancy and the hardships of motherhood, Title IX protections allowed me to balance it all while pursuing my education. It’s shameful that some want to dismantle the Department that protects student parents and helps enforce our rights.”
“This executive order is a direct attack on students’ rights – including pregnant, postpartum, and parenting students. Without a strong, functioning Department of Education to investigate Title IX complaints, these students will continue to face discrimination and interruptions in their education,” said Bayliss Fiddiman, Director of Educational Equity and Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive in, and complete their education without facing discrimination or undue hardship. As the nation’s largest non-institutional funder of women in graduate education, AAUW has seen firsthand how support for pregnant and parenting students can change lives and open doors,” stated Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO of AAUW. “The proposed dismantling of the Department of Education would threaten decades of progress in educational equity and Title IX enforcement. We will not stand by as these hard-won protections are stripped away. AAUW remains steadfast in defending inclusive, accessible education for all.”
“Recently, UNITE-LA released a report showing the unique challenges faced by parenting students and the institutions they attend,” noted Alysia Bell, President, UNITE-LA. “Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education would have devastating consequences for parenting students—a vital yet often unrecognized group. As our report indicates, federal support helps institutions create more effective educational environments that empower these students to complete college and contribute skilled talent to local economies—with the ancillary benefit of driving generational progress by advancing the educational attainment of their own children. Federal support is crucial for parenting students—a key demographic of our rising workforce that is positioned to contribute to short- and long-term economic growth.”
Every student deserves an equal opportunity to reach their full potential, to succeed in school, and to be treated with respect and dignity. Pregnant, postpartum, and parenting students deserve to have a Department of Education that defends their right to an education. We will continue to lead the fight to protect the rights and freedoms of pregnant and parenting students.