The Settlement Agreement
On February 18, 2010, attorneys for the farmers and attorneys for the USDA entered into a Settlement Agreement to resolve
once and for all discrimination claims pending against the USDA in In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation.
On May 13, 2011, Judge Paul L. Friedman signed an order granting preliminary approval of the Settlement Agreement. On October 27, 2011, Judge Friedman issued an Opinion and Order granting final approval of the Settlement Agreement. A subsequent Court Order established a Claim Submission Period between November 14, 2011 and May 11, 2012
On May 13, 2011, Judge Paul L. Friedman signed an order granting preliminary approval of the Settlement Agreement.
On October 27, 2011, Judge Friedman signed an order granting final approval of the Settlement Agreement. The Court’s October 27 Opinion and
Order states that the Claim Submission Period will begin on November 14, 2011 and end on May 11, 2012.
On April 7, 2014, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman signed an order modifying section V.E.13 of the Settlement agreement, which outlines eligibility requirements for Cy Pres Beneficiaries. Information regarding the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation (BFDL) Cy Pres Funds was announced on July 24, 2017 , and can be found here.