The U.S. Department of Education has scrapped decades-old regulations that held institutions accountable for unintentional discrimination, even when statistical patterns suggested bias in policies or practices. The move reverses long-standing protections under the concept of disparate impact, which allowed challenges to rules that disproportionately affected certain groups without explicit intent. Critics argue the change weakens safeguards against systemic inequities, while supporters claim it reduces regulatory burdens on schools and programs. The decision marks a significant shift in how federal agencies interpret civil rights enforcement in education.
The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday eliminated regulations going back more than 60 years that recognized liability for disparate impact, such as when statistics demonstrate a discriminatory ...
