A private German-American community on Long Island that was founded as a Nazi summer camp in the 1930s will now have to accept residents of all races and nationalities. New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced a settlement to end their race-based housing policies.
The modern German-American Settlement League is basically a co-op. They own the land in Yaphank, while homeowners own the house they live in.
The league had a covenant in their by-laws that only allowed Germans or people of German extraction could buy into the league. That effectively kept the community white.
Schneiderman says the league continued to discriminate based on race and nationality despite a federal settlement last year that removed the covenant.
Under the agreement, the league will obey the Fair Housing Act, replace its president and treasurer, conduct community outreach, and report regularly to the attorney general.
