Education Department removes anti-discrimination rule

The Education Department said Thursday that it is rescinding a long-standing policy allowing statistical disparities to serve as evidence of discrimination in schools during civil rights investigations.

The policy, which took place immediately, eliminated guidance dating back to 1979 that permitted the agency’s Office for Civil Rights to use data showing disproportionate outcomes for students of different races when investigating alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Federal investigators now can no longer rely on statistical disparities alone to support discrimination findings and instead will have to prove intentional discrimination in civil rights complaints against schools using other means.

“A child is so much more than a number in a data set. The left’s notion of ‘equity’ should never prevent teachers from keeping their classrooms and students safe,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.........

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