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President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing federal agencies to stop using a long-standing legal standard known as “disparate impact liability,” a cornerstone of civil rights enforcement for over 50 years. The move significantly alters how discrimination cases are investigated and prosecuted across the federal government.
What to Know:
- The executive order instructs agencies to abandon policies based on disparate impact, which has been used to show how neutral practices can disproportionately harm minority groups, The New York Times reports.
- Civil rights advocates say the directive threatens key protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- The order is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across federal agencies.
- Legal experts expect the policy change to face court challenges, particularly over its impact on civil rights enforcement.
- The Justice Department and Education Department have already begun rolling back investigations and agreements tied to the now-sidelined standard.
- Supporters of the order say the shift restores a focus on individual merit and eliminates what they call race-based legal assumptions.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest.