President Donald Trump signed seven executive orders Wednesday targeting America’s education system—chief among them, a major rollback on civil rights. The most controversial move: eliminating disparate impact, a key legal tool used for decades to challenge discrimination in schools, housing, and employment.
Under disparate impact, it didn’t matter whether intent was proven—if the outcome was unequal, it still counted. But Trump says that’s government overreach.
The administration is also canceling civil rights agreements based on discipline disparities, including one in South Dakota. In the Rapid City Area School District, a federal investigation found that Native American students were approximately four times as likely to be suspended and five times as likely to be arrested compared with their white peers. The agreement, which aimed to address these disparities, was terminated by the Trump administration, citing concerns over its foundation in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles.
The move reflects the administration’s broader efforts to roll back DEI initiatives in education. Another order rolls back Biden-era guidance that protected Black and brown students from biased school discipline.
And higher education isn’t spared—accreditors who assess diversity efforts now risk losing federal recognition. Instead, schools will be judged on student outcomes, not equity.
Trump says the move is about fairness. Critics call it erasure.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
