Veterans

Federal Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Department of Veterans Affairs for Racial Discrimination in Benefits to Proceed

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal district court judge has ruled that a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) alleging racial discrimination in disability benefits can proceed. The suit claims that the VA systematically rejected applications for benefits from Black veterans at a higher rate than their white counterparts, a practice that has allegedly persisted since World War II. The case was brought by Vietnam veteran Conley Monk Jr. of Connecticut on behalf of himself and his late father, a World War II veteran. The lawsuit asserts that the VA engaged in “systematic benefits … Read more

Concordia Parish Police Jury Extends Partnership with Department of Veterans Affairs to Support Local Veterans

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Vidalia, Louisiana – The Concordia Parish Police Jury unanimously voted on Monday to renew its cooperative agreement with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. The agreement, which amounts to just under $15,000, aims to provide services to 953 veterans and their families residing in the parish. Over the course of one year, the parish will pay LDVA $14,534 in monthly payments of $1,211. These funds will cover approximately 27.85% of various expenses, including salaries, travel, supplies, postage, equipment maintenance, telephone, and internet services. The collaboration between the police jury and LDVA has proven to be … Read more

Yale Law School Clinic Fights for Transgender Veterans’ Access to Gender-Affirming Surgery

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New Haven, Connecticut – Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services clinic has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) over its policy on gender-affirming surgery. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA), seeks to compel the VA to address a rulemaking petition that was presented to them in 2016. The petition called for the inclusion of gender-affirming surgery in the VA’s medical coverage. TAVA submitted the petition in 2016, but the VA never formally responded to it. In 2021, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis McDonough … Read more

Campaign for Justice: Veterans’ Toxic Water Claims Surge as Compensation Deadline Approaches

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Elizabethtown, North Carolina – For nearly four decades, Jerry Ensminger has returned to Onslow Beach, a stretch of shoreline in North Carolina where his young daughter, Janey, once played in the sand. They would often visit the beach together, searching for shells and shark teeth as they navigated the challenges of her leukemia diagnosis. Now, as Ensminger approaches the end of his journey for justice, more than 129,000 veterans, workers, and their relatives have submitted claims for compensation due to exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune. The upcoming deadline in August is expected to … Read more