Final answer:
The bank violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by denying credit to Renee based on her recent divorce and public assistance income.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bank violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by denying credit to Renee based on her recent divorce and public assistance income. This federal law prohibits creditors from using factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, and age in making decisions regarding the extension of credit. It ended the common practice of lenders discriminating against women by refusing to loan money to them independently of their husbands or considering only the husband's income when extending credit to a family.