The U.S. Department of Education has rolled back decades-old rules that allowed for legal challenges based on statistical evidence of discrimination, even when unintentional. The move targets policies addressing "disparate impact," where practices may disproportionately affect certain groups without explicit bias. Critics argue the change weakens protections against systemic inequities in education, while supporters claim it reduces burdensome legal risks for institutions. The decision reverses long-standing interpretations of civil rights laws in school and lending policies.
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 ...
