The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed to settle a lawsuit with Maine on May 2, after it withheld around $3 million in grant funding for nutrition programs in that state.
According to the terms of the settlement, the USDA and its employees cannot withhold Maine’s funding based on alleged Title IX violations “without first following all legally required procedures.” These requirements include consulting Congress and a 30-day delay before funding is pulled.
In exchange, Maine will drop its suit within two calendar days.
“It’s unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,” Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said in a statement....
