Opinion ID: 8704902
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: 2006 Administrative Complaint

Text: In 2006, Mr. Cottrell filed yet another claim, this time an administrative, complaint with USDA Office of Adjudication and Compliance (OAC). Mr. Cottrell alleged that USDA discriminated against him in favor of older farmers and retaliated against him when he complained. As a basis for his claims of discrimination and reprisal, Mr. Cottrell alleged: (1) In 1999, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) 5 refused to provide an accounting of funds under Mr. Cottrell’s CRP contract; (2) From 1995-2000, FSA failed to properly reconstitute land he leased and was later held to own, resulting in the nonpayment of benefits; (3) From 1995-2001, FSA improperly handled his loan file, causing unfavorable decisions on his program applications; (4) On January 1, 2001, FSA informed Mr. Cottrell that he was “being removed as a producer/operator” without prior notice; (5) In September 2001, FSA coerced him into giving up his right to mediation on a Coshocton County FSA decision; and (6) On September 5, 2001, FSA did not honor his 1995 crop acreage report, thereby denying him payment for the 1995 crop year. 2007 Final Decision at 1-2. OAC described three events that likely were the genesis of Mr. Cottrell’s age discrimination claim against USDA. Id. at 2 n. 1. First, he took a youth loan in 1984 when he was just 16. He did not repay the loan according to the schedule, and instead the loan was consolidated with two others. He used the loan to purchase cattle, which served as collateral on the loan, and then in 1992 or 1993, he sold or traded the cattle for farm equipment. He failed to notify FSA that he had conveyed the cattle and thus that FSA had lost the collateral on the loan. An FSA County Executive Director requested an investigation by the Office of Inspector General, but the Inspector General did not pursue it. Id. Thereafter, Mr. Cottrell was not approved for any more FSA loans. In 1994, USDA charged off the balance owed on the 1984 loan. Second, when Mr. Cottrell was 18 years old (sometime around 1984), he sought to purchase inventory property, but his bid was rejected and the property was sold to an older farmer. At the time, the Coshocton County Executive Director said to Mr. Cottrell’s father, “I know how badly the boy wanted the farm.” This comment almost caused a fist fight between Mr. Cottrell and the Director. Id. Third, in 1994 the Knox County Executive Director also reported to the Inspector General regarding another unspecified transaction involving Mr. Cottrell. The Inspector General again declined to proceed. Id. On December 14, 2007, OAC entered a Final Decision finding that Mr. Cottrell’s age discrimination and retaliation claims were untimely. Id. at 8. The complaint was based on events that occurred in 1999-2001. Administrative claims alleging discrimination in USDA programs must be filed within 180 days after the alleged act of discrimination, see 7 C.F.R. § 15.6, but Mr. Cottrell did not file his OAC complaint until 2006, five years after the last alleged act of discrimination. OAC also found that, if treated as timely, Mr. Cottrell’s claim lacked merit. OAC held that age did not play a part in USDA decision-making regarding the CRP contract: Consistently for twelve (12) years, the Coshocton County FSA Office and County Committee followed the advice of Agency Counsel, and relied on regulations, that they could do no more than make no decisions with respect to [Ms. Stuller’s] estate lands under the CRP, pending the outcome of the Cottrell family litigation, or unless all potential heirs agreed. Since [Mr. Cottrell] was the only member of his generation involved in the land dispute litigation, it is not surprising that [he] held a perception that everyone who did not affirmatively support his position, was against him.... In fact, it was [Mr. Cottrell] who injected- “age” into the County program decisions. 2007 Final Decision at 9. Further, OAC held that Mr. Cottrell did not establish a causal connection between the alleged retaliation and his various lawsuits against USDA. Id. at 11-12.