The U.S. Department of Education has scrapped decades-old rules that held institutions accountable for unintentional discrimination when statistical patterns revealed unequal treatment. The move reverses long-standing policies that allowed federal agencies to challenge practices causing disproportionate harm to protected groups, even without proof of intentional bias. Critics argue the change weakens protections under civil rights laws, while supporters claim it reduces burdensome regulatory oversight. Legal and educational sectors now brace for potential shifts in how discrimination cases are addressed under federal guidelines.
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 ...
