The allegations were made in a federal lawsuit that was filed on Monday by a dairy farmer from Wisconsin. The lawsuit claimed that the Trump administration is improperly withholding financial help to white farmers by continuing programs that favor minority farmers.
For the purpose of representing Adam Faust, a white dairy farmer, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which is a conservative organization, filed a case against the United States Department of Agriculture in a federal court in the state of Wisconsin.
In 2021, Faust was one of several farmers who successfully sued the Biden administration for racial discrimination in the Farmer Loan Forgiveness Plan run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
According to the allegations made in the latest case, the government has continued to carry out diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were initially established during the tenure of former President Joe Biden. In April, the Wisconsin Institute sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) threatening legal action. Additionally, six Republican lawmakers from Wisconsin demanded that the USDA investigate and terminate the programs.
Faust issued a written statement in which he stated, “The United States Department of Agriculture ought to honor the President’s promise to the American people to place an end to racial discrimination in the federal government.” I hope that my case will bring answers, accountability, and results from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), after it has been disregarded by a federal agency that is supposed to assist agriculture.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesman for the USDA stated that the department does not comment on lawsuits that are currently pending.
At the same time that the lawsuit is “frustrating for me personally and as the leader of this movement,” John Boyd, the president of the National Black Farmers Association, expressed his frustration.
“It is abundantly clear that the farmers who are suffering at the moment are the Black farmers out here,” he stated. You are free to couch it in whatever manner you see fit.
The lawsuit asserts that Faust is one of two million white male farmers in the United States who are subject to discriminatory regulations at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on their race.
In its case, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) identifies three programs and regulations that, according to the plaintiffs, discriminate against white men on the basis of race and gender, thereby violating the Constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment.
In spite of the fact that Faust is a participant in a program that is intended to cover the difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed, the lawsuit asserts that he is required to pay an administrative fee of one hundred dollars, which is not required of minority or female farmers.
At the same time, Faust is a participant in a program run by the USDA that guarantees ninety percent of the value of loans to white farmers, but ninety-five percent to women and racial minorities. The lawsuit asserts that this places Faust in a position of disadvantage.
According to the lawsuit, Faust has also started working on a new manure storage system that may be eligible for reimbursement under a USDA environmental conservation program. However, the lawsuit asserts that only 75% of his costs are eligible, whereas 90% of the costs of minority farmers are eligible.
In a case that was very similar to this one, a judge from the federal court in 2021 decided that it would be unlawful to award loan forgiveness to “socially disadvantaged farmers” only. A suspension of the program was implemented by the Biden administration, and in 2022, it was canceled by Congress.
Defense of Equal Opportunity (DEI) programs in government has been the target of dozens of lawsuits filed by the Wisconsin Institute in 25 different states. According to the letter that the law company that has a long history of supporting Republicans submitted to the USDA in April, the firm stated that it did not intend to file a lawsuit, but that “there is no excuse for this continued discrimination.”
In order to achieve a campaign promise and bring about a major cultural shift across the United States, transitioning away from a focus on diversity and toward an exclusive emphasis on merit, Trump has been aggressive in his efforts to terminate the government’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
