The groups say Thursday’s rescission of the tool has “no basis in law or morality” and constitutes “further evidence that this administration is determined to undermine our laws, abandon civil rights enforcement, and deny the existence of systemic discrimination.”
“The rescission will hurt Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American students, other students of color, and other marginalized students who face higher rates of discrimination,” the organizations said in a joint statement issued by the Legal Defense Fund.
The groups were referring to the Trump Administration’s move Thursday to end several disparate-impact provisions from the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Title VI.
They say the disparate impact tool allowed the Office of Civil Rights to investigate school discipline or school closure policies that “appear neutral but unfairly and disproportionately harm or disadvantage” students of color. They say its removal will “clear the way for discrimination that too often deprives students of equal educational opportunity based on race, color, and national origin.”
Under the disparate impact provisions, demographic data alone could be used to establish that a school violated federal civil rights laws, “even if there is no facially discriminatory policy, practice, or discriminatory intent involved,” the Education Department said in a statement.
“This has effectively required educational institutions to consider race and engage in racial balancing in order to comply with federal civil rights law,” the department stated. “Removing disparate impact aligns the Department’s regulations with Title VI’s statutory provisions and advances President Trump’s promise to restore equality of opportunity and meritocracy.”
