The U.S. Department of Education has scrapped decades-old rules that held institutions accountable for discrimination when statistical patterns revealed unequal treatment, even if intentional bias wasn’t proven. The move reverses long-standing protections under a legal framework that allowed claims of disparate impact to be addressed without requiring direct evidence of discriminatory intent. Critics argue the change weakens safeguards against systemic inequities, while supporters say it reduces burdensome legal risks for schools and lenders. The decision marks a significant shift in how civil rights enforcement may be applied in education and lending practices moving forward.
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 ...
