Five Farmers File Suit Against USDA, Alleging Bias Against Women, Elderly

AP 10dec00

HARLEM, Mont. -- Five farmers, including two from Montana, are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claiming the agency discriminated against female and elderly farmers in loan programs and other assistance.

The suits allege that the department's lending arm, the Farm Service Agency, required more collateral for loans from elderly or female farmers, and that the FSA approved smaller loans for them than they did young, white, male farmers.

The class-action federal lawsuit, which seeks $3 billion in damages, is similar to claims filed against the USDA on behalf of black and American Indian farmers in other states. USDA settled the lawsuit by black farmers for more than $2.2 billion.

Rosemary Love of Harlem is the lead plaintiff in the latest lawsuit. She contends she wasn't offered the same federal help to bail out her Hi-Line sheep ranch during the farm crisis in the 1980s as male farmers in similar financial straits. She said the FSA's actions drove her family into bankruptcy.

Susan McAvoy, a USDA spokesman, told the Great Falls Tribune the agency would not comment on specific cases. "Any type of discrimination cases would be a concern," she said, adding that Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has "made it a priority in the agency to educate employees and remind employees of the importance of civil rights," Ms. McAvoy said.

Roger Meredith, director of the Montana FSA's loan program, denied a discrimination problem, saying he believes wholeheartedly in its practices.

Three other female farmers from Georgia, California and Florida are named as plaintiffs, along with 73-year-old James Murnion, who farms near Shawmut, south east of Harlowtown. He alleges he was denied refinancing for his farm debt because of his age.

The farmers are represented by Washington, D.C., attorney Phillip Fraas, who helped win the lawsuit brought by black farmers. He said female and elderly farmers have run into the same type of discrimination problem in the FSA.

"It seems there is a pervasive problem at the (Agriculture Department) with minority or vulnerable groups generally," Mr. Fraas said. "We think that since they settled with black farmers, to the extent that women farmers have the same complaint, they should settle with the women, also. It has been a severe problem."

Mr. Fraas said he expects at least a dozen other farmers will join in the class-action lawsuit.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has until Dec. 19 to respond to the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia in October.