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Court approves Pigford II settlement

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has approved the terms of the so-called Pigford II settlement. This should be the last step in finally resolving the discrimination suit brought against the U.S. Department of Agriculture which charged African-American farmers were not treated fairly in farm programs from 1983 through 1997. Farmer Timothy Pigford sued USDA in 1997. The Ag Department offered a settlement and more than a billion dollars were paid out. But more farmers claimed they were entitled to compensation but had been shut out by the original deal. So, they were invited to submit claims in what became known as Pigford II.

In February of 2010, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced an agreement to pay $1.25 billion to the second group. Congress passed the funding for the deal last November and the President signed it in December.

With the court’s approval of the agreement, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the claims process will soon be established and announced for individuals who may have faced discrimination. In a statement, the Secretary said: “President Obama, Attorney General Holder and I are thrilled by the court’s approval so we can continue turning the page on this sad chapter in USDA history. In the months and years ahead, we will not stop working to move the Department into a new era as a model employer and premier service provider for all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.”

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