School desegregation cases face new changes under Trump administration

Civil rights advocates warn the shift could change how racial discrimination in schools is investigated and addressed.

The Trump administration is closing long-running school desegregation cases. Civil rights advocates say the changes could affect how racial discrimination is addressed in schools.

For decades, federal civil rights enforcement in American education recognized that discrimination could occur even when a school policy did not explicitly mention race. Under the Trump administration, federal agencies have moved away from that approach. They are limiting the circumstances in which racial disparities can be used to establish or investigate discrimination.

In July, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded provisions allowing disparate-impact analysis under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The department said the change was intended to align enforcement with what it considers Title VI’s statutory requirements. As reported by WSBTV Atlanta, it also claims to prevent demographic data alone from establishing a civil-rights violation.

Education Department spokesperson Sabin Sidney told the Associated Press that previous administrations had “weaponized disparate impact”. He argued that those practices contributed to unsafe classrooms and undermined student learning. Civil rights advocates have, however, raised the concern that removing the approach could make it harder to address discrimination when a policy appears neutral.

Federal Education Department data show disparities in discipline involving students of color, particularly Black students. The department itself acknowledges that such disparities can prompt an evaluation of whether discrimination is occurring. As reported, federal and state data have historically shown Black students are more likely than their peers to be removed from classrooms through suspensions, expulsions and referrals to law enforcement.