USDA announces settlement of Keepseagle
Here is the press release from the USDA:
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder Announce Settlement Agreement with Native American Farmers Who Claim to Have Faced Discrimination by USDA in Past Decades Settlement Addresses Discrimination Claims Made Over Farm Loan Programs
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against USDA by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA. The settlement ends litigation concerning discrimination complaints from Native Americans generally covering the period 1981-1999.
“Today’s settlement can never undo wrongs that Native Americans may have experienced in past decades, but combined with the actions we at USDA are taking to address such wrongs, the settlement will provide some measure of relief to those alleging discrimination,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration is committed to closing the chapter on an unfortunate civil rights history at USDA and working to ensure our customers and employees are treated justly and equally.”
“The settlement announced today will allow USDA and the Native American farmers involved in the lawsuit to move forward and focus on the future,” said Attorney General Holder. “Under the process established in this agreement, Native American farmers who believe they suffered discrimination will have their claims heard. The Department of Justice is proud to partner with USDA in the agency’s effort to ensure fair and equitable treatment of its clients.”
Under the settlement agreement announced today, $680 million will be made available to eligible class members to compensate them for their discrimination claims. Two payment “tracks” are available. Under the first track, persons who meet the class definition and provide substantial evidence of discrimination to an impartial adjudicator will receive a uniform settlement of up to $50,000. The second track is for those persons who meet the class definition and believe they have stronger evidence of economic losses caused by discrimination. This track requires a higher evidentiary standard and damage awards are capped at a maximum of up to $250,000 per individual. Actual monetary awards are subject to reduction based on the amount of available funding and the number of meritorious claims.
The Judgment Fund maintained by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Treasury will fund any monetary awards provided under the settlement. USDA will provide up to $20 million to administer the settlement.
In addition to the monetary award, the agreement provides up to $80 million in debt forgiveness to successful claimants with outstanding USDA Farm Loan program debt. Also, a moratorium on foreclosures of most claimants’ farms and a moratorium on accelerations and administrative offsets of class members’ farm loan accounts will be put into place until after claimants have gone through the claims process or the Secretary of Agriculture has been notified that a claim has been denied.
The settlement also provides a broad range of programmatic relief for Native American farmers, including creation of a new Federal Advisory Council for Native American farmers and ranchers that will include Native American representation from around the country as well as senior USDA officials. Meanwhile, a new Ombudsman position will be created to address farm program issues relating to Native American farmers and ranchers as well as all other socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The Department will also offer Native American farmers enhanced technical assistance services through the establishment of a network that provides intensive instruction to recipients concerning financial, business and market planning skills and supports the deployment of tribal agriculture advocates and third party outreach and education providers.
This lawsuit, Marilyn Keepseagle et al., v. Vilsack (Civil Action No. 99-3119 (D.D.C.)), was filed on November 24th, 1999. The settlement will not become final until it is formally approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, USDA is working to address past civil rights complaints and today’s announcement is a major step in that effort. The Secretary and his leadership team are committed to addressing allegations of discrimination, and shortly after he took office he sent a memo to all USDA employees calling for “a new era of civil rights” for the Department. In February 2010, Secretary Vilsack announced the Pigford II settlement with black farmers; the Keepseagle settlement continues as part of that new era. Meanwhile, Secretary Vilsack continues to pursue the resolution of all claims of past discrimination against USDA, including claims from women and Hispanic farmers. Additional information on the efforts undertaken by the Secretary and USDA management is available at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/.
And here is a White House press release with Obama’s remarks:
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
October 19, 2010
Statement by the President on Settlement Agreement in the Native American Farmers Lawsuit Against USDA
Today, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice announced a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs in the Keepseagle class action lawsuit. This suit was originally filed in 1999 by Native American farmers alleging discrimination in access to and participation in USDA’s farm loan programs. With today’s agreement, we take an important step forward in remedying USDA’s unfortunate civil rights history.
I applaud Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder for their hard work to reach this settlement – a settlement that helps strengthen the nation to nation relationship and underscores the federal government’s commitment to treat all citizens fairly. In light of that commitment, Congress must also act to implement the historic settlements of the Pigford II lawsuit, brought by African American farmers, and the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources. My Administration also continues to work towards a resolution of the claims made by women and Hispanic farmers against the USDA.