Section 14 survivors group propose $42M settlement counteroffer to Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors and their descendants, led by attorney Areva Martin, announced that they have proposed a formal counteroffer of $42 million to the City of Palm Springs today.

Section 14 is a one-square-mile tract previously held by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, adjacent to downtown Palm Springs.

The area used to home to hundreds of people, mostly minority families, until the 1950s and 1960s when the City of Palm Springs orchestrated the violent displacement of at least 1,000 residents from the area. Hundreds of homes and other structures were burned or bulldozed, and families were forcibly removed without compensation, resulting in deep and lasting trauma for those affected.

Survivors and descendants of the events surrounding Section 14 have been in a long-standing debate with the City of Palm Springs over restitution and reparation programs for the City's actions at the time.

“This is a historic and unprecedented settlement offer to address the racial harms of the past and set forth on a path of healing and prosperity, for both my clients and the City of Palm Springs," said Martin. “The facts of this case are clear, and we encourage the city to accept our offer so that we can avoid costly litigation, which would likely result in much higher costs to the city. As I have said all along, my clients are committed to working with the city to execute this proposal in a manner that honors the harms they endured while ensuring that the City likewise benefits in the long-term.”

City officials provided a statement to News Channel 3 on this new counteroffer.

"The City received the settlement counteroffer from Areva Martin and the Section 14 Survivors Group," the City of Palm Springs responded. "Palm Springs staff is careful to do our due diligence and make well-informed recommendations to the City Council. The City will review and take this counteroffer to the City Council at the appropriate time." 

The Survivors' formal proposal follows the group's response of $150 million in May to the City's initial settlement offer of $4.3 million. In that response, the Survivors outlined flaws in the City's calculations and used the City's proposed formula with a more accurate set of data points, resulting in total damages of $70 to $100 million dollars.

“We have fought for justice for over 60 years,” said Pearl Devers, Chairperson of the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors. “Most of us are now in our twilight years, so it is crucial that we achieve true recognition and justice for what was taken from us as soon as possible. It's time for us to move forward together in healing and set the right example for future generations.”

The $42 million counteroffer will include both cash payments to those who can demonstrate direct impacts from the displacement and programmatic initiatives, such as establishing a Section 14 Day of Remembrance, and constructing Section 14 Racial Healing Center.

Additionally, the proposal incorporates efforts to promote tourism and expand the economic base for Palm Springs, elevating the city's prole as a destination for Black and Brown tourism.

"My clients share a deep love for Palm Springs, and, throughout our conversations, I have consistently underscored their sincere commitment to diligently work to expand the economic base for Palm Springs as a part of any settlement," Martin wrote in the letter. 

Already this year, legislation has been introduced in the California state legislature that aims to lift the statute of limitations for race-related takings and claims, demonstrating momentum to open pathways to litigate such claims when appropriate. As the Survivors' counter proposal points out, this trend underscores that "the risk to the City of not accepting these settlement terms are immense."

Following the Survivors' initial counteroffer of $105 million, the City of Palm Springs hired the Architectural Resources Group (ARG) to research and analyze the facts surrounding the complex history of Section 14. The draft of the historical context study is expected to be complete in September, with a final presentation slated in November. The City is asking the public to assist in this endeavor by providing historical documents, photos, memories or other information regarding the history of Section 14 through a survey.

Check out our previous coverage of the long debate regarding reparations for Survivors of Section 14.

• City of Palm Springs commences Section 14 Historical Context Study
• Palm Springs ‘shocked’ by $105M counteroffer from Section 14 survivors, ‘could easily bankrupt the city’
• I-Team: Latest on possible litigation between Palm Springs and Section 14 group
• ‘Right that wrong’ Palm Springs City Council agrees to take actions regarding Section 14
• I-Team digs into what really happened in the forced removal of Section 14 families in Palm Springs