Crime: Federal
The Justice Department has reached a settlement with the city of Walnut, Calif., resolving allegations that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when it denied the Chung Tai Zen Center of Walnut a permit to construct a Buddhist house of worship on property owned by the Zen Center, forcing the Zen Center to move to another facility in Pomona, Calif.
The settlement, which must still be approved by a federal district judge, resolves the lawsuit between the United States and the city of Walnut.
"Religious freedom is among our most cherished rights, and our nation’s laws prohibit cities and towns from discriminating based on religion when they make zoning decisions related to houses of worship," said Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division.
"We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with the city of Walnut that prohibits inferior treatment of any religious organization that seeks to build a house of worship in compliance with local zoning laws," added Perez.
The city has agreed, as part of settlement, not to impose differential zoning or building requirements on other houses of worship. The city also agreed that its leaders and managers, and certain city employees, will attend training on the requirements of RLUIPA.
WLUT: The city will adopt new procedures that clarify its appeals process for houses of worship, and will report periodically to the Justice Department.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to combat religious discrimination may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/spec_topics/religiousdiscrimination/ .
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption|Civil Rights
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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