School Bias Alleged Over Pregnant Teens

New York City school counselors and teachers routinely discriminate against pregnant students and teenage parents, encouraging them to leave mainstream schools for specialized programs, a civil rights group charged. Schools designated for pregnant and parenting students are often weaker academically than the mainstream schools, said Donna Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “It’s illegal to segregate students because they’re pregnant or have a baby,” Lieberman said. “It reminds me of the old days when kids who had big bellies just disappeared from school.” She urged staff training on recognizing the rights of the teens and offering them support, expanded day-care programs at schools and the creation of a central office to help them.