The U.S. Department of Education has rolled back decades-old policies that held institutions accountable for unintentional discrimination, such as when statistical patterns reveal unequal treatment in programs or services. The move reverses long-standing rules that allowed federal agencies to address cases where policies, even if not intentionally biased, disproportionately affected protected groups. Critics argue the change weakens protections under civil rights laws, while supporters say it reduces burdensome regulatory oversight. The decision marks a significant shift in how discrimination claims are evaluated under federal education programs.
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 ...
