City of Des Plaines Settles Lawsuit Over Alleged RLUIPA Violations
CHICAGO – The city of Des Plaines has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office over alleged violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA).
The lawsuit, filed in September 2015, alleged that the city discriminated against The Society of American Bosnians and Herzegovinans (SABAH), a Bosnian Muslim religious organization, when it denied a rezoning application to allow the group to use a vacant building as a mosque.
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and we will not tolerate the unlawful use of zoning or land use restrictions to infringe on that right,” said Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney of the Northern District of Illinois.
As part of the settlement agreement, the city of Des Plaines will abide by RLUIPA in its determinations involving religious land use requests. The city has agreed to provide training on the requirements of RLUIPA to its officials and employees, and to publicize its non-discrimination policies, among other remedial measures.
RLUIPA prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion in land use and zoning decisions. Persons who believe they have been subjected to such discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
The city of Des Plaines is required to take steps to prevent future RLUIPA violations and to ensure that its zoning and land use practices are fair and unbiased. The settlement is a significant step towards protecting the rights of religious groups to establish houses of worship without fear of discriminatory zoning or land use practices.
Defendant: City of Des Plaines, Crime: RLUIPA Violations, State: Illinois, Year: 2023.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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