Two professors from the University of Texas-Austin are taking legal action against the Biden administration in response to newly issued rulings that necessitate them to excuse absences for students seeking out-of-state abortions. Professors Daniel Bonevac and John Hatfield have stated that they have no intention to condone absences for “purely elective abortions that are not medically required.”
The professors have also expressed their reluctance to recruit a teaching assistant who has violated the abortion laws of Texas or federal prohibitions on the shipment or receipt of abortion-related paraphernalia. The lawsuit, in which the professors are named, was instigated last month by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The legal action is aimed at contesting the recent changes to Title IX by the U.S. Department of Education. The professors clarified in their declarations that they would accommodate students seeking medically necessary abortions due to life-threatening or health-compromising pregnancies. However, they firmly stated that they would not support voluntary abortions resulting from consensual sexual intercourse.