City of Meriden, RLUIPA Violation, Connecticut 2020

Meriden, Connecticut - In a shocking case of government overreach, the City of Meriden has agreed to settle claims with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut over allegations that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) by denying the application of the Omar Islamic Center to establish a mosque in March 2019.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division, alleged that the City of Meriden's denial of the Omar Islamic Center's application to establish a mosque imposed a substantial burden on the center's religious exercise and treated the center, a religious assembly or institution, on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly or institution.

The city's zoning code also allegedly treated religious assemblies or institutions on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions in nine zoning districts. As part of the agreement, the city has agreed to review and amend its zoning ordinance to comply with the requirements of RLUIPA, to provide training to its officials and employees about their obligations under RLUIPA, and to notify the public about the city's compliance with RLUIPA in its zoning and land use actions.

The proposed consent decree, which was filed on January 1, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and must still be approved by the court, resolves a lawsuit the United States also filed on January 1, 2020. The United States' complaint alleges that the city's denial of the Omar Islamic Center's application to establish a mosque imposed a substantial burden on the center's religious exercise and treated the center, a religious assembly or institution, on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly or institution.

The City of Meriden denies the allegations, but has agreed to settle the matter without additional litigation. As part of the agreement, the city will be required to pay an undisclosed amount of money to the Omar Islamic Center for the costs associated with the lawsuit.

The case highlights the importance of protecting the religious freedom of all people in the United States. The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. The law ensures that people of all faiths can establish houses of worship and practice their faith without undue government restraint.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut is committed to enforcing RLUIPA and protecting the religious freedom of all people in the United States. The office will continue to investigate and prosecute cases of government overreach and religious discrimination.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-settles-claims-against-city-meriden-connecticut-involving-denial-mosque