News & Analysis as of June 1, 2025

Religious Discrimination

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The Equal Protection Clause is a section of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution that provides that "no state shall...deny to any citizen within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Essentially, the Equal Protection Clause provides that the government must treat an individual the same way that it treats other individuals in the same circumstances. The 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause applies only to state governments, but the requirements of the clause apply to the federal government through the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment. less -

Ninth Circuit Rules on Caste as a Protected Class in CSU’s Anti-Discrimination Policy

Meyers Nave on 3/21/2025

On March 12, 2025, the Ninth Circuit issued its decision in Kumar v. Koester, dismissing a constitutional challenge to a university’s anti-discrimination policy that added “caste” as a protected class. Effective January 1,...more

Eleventh Circuit Finds City of Mobile Violated Religious Freedom Laws

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 1/17/2024

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently considered a long-running religious land use dispute involving the Thai Meditation Association of Alabama (TMAA) and the city of Mobile, Alabama. The...more

Holtzman Vogel Supreme Court Review, October Term 2022

Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak on 7/11/2023

By: Jason Torchinsky, Ed Wenger, Jan Baran, Jonathan P. Lienhard, Kent Safriet, and David Brown The Supreme Court wrapped up its decisions from the October 2022 Term, with a blockbuster final week addressing issues like...more

Fourth Circuit: Church Seeking to Operate as Brewery or Farm Winery Did Not State RLUIPA Claim

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 5/26/2023

The Fourth Circuit has ruled against the Alive Church of the Nazarene’s claims that Prince William County, Virginia, violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLIUPA) by denying the Church the...more

Court Rules Meriden, CT’s Zoning Regulations Discriminatory

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 1/6/2023

A district court has ruled that the City of Meriden, Connecticut (the City) discriminated against Omar Islamic Center Inc. following the City’s denial of the Islamic Center’s application to move its mosque to another...more

St. Pete Beach, Florida Enjoined from Prohibiting Church’s Beach Parking Lot Evangelism

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 2/10/2021

A federal court in Florida recently ruled that Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church, Inc. (Church) was likely to prevail on its RLUIPA substantial burden claim challenging the City of St. Pete Beach’s enforcement of parking...more

Evangelical Church Sues Castle Hills, TX for Denying SUP for Sunday School Space

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 12/10/2019

Wayside Chapel Evangelical Free Church is suing Castle Hills, Texas for denying its application for a special use permit for property located at 113 Ivywood Circle. The Church claims that the extra space is needed to...more

Church Ministering to Homeless/Needy Can Proceed with Most of its Religious Discrimination Claims

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 4/29/2019

A United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee recently ruled that Layman Lessons Church and Welcome Baptist Church, Inc. (“Layman Lessons”) can move forward with most, but not all, of its religious...more

Islamic Community Center Denied Variance Needed to Operate Mosque; Files Lawsuit Against Michigan City

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 11/21/2018

Earlier this month, an Islamic community center filed suit against the City of Troy, Michigan (“City”) after the City denied the group’s application for a variance needed to operate a mosque at the property it owns in the...more

Coffee Shop Church’s Claims Survive Motion to Dismiss, City Amends Code to Permit Use

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 10/18/2018

A federal court in Maryland has denied the City of Laurel, Maryland’s (“City”) motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Redemption Community Church (“Church”). ...more

Church Ministering To Homeless Secures Preliminary Injunction Against St. Paul, Minn. For Likely RLUIPA And Free Speech Violations

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 8/14/2018

A federal court in Minnesota has issued a preliminary injunction in favor of a local church ministering to the homeless, ruling that the church was likely to prevail on its RLUIPA substantial burden and First Amendment free...more

North Carolina City’s Zoning Code Amendment “At The Cross”-Road of RLUIPA Claim

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 6/29/2018

Recent amendments to the zoning code of the City of Monroe, North Carolina (the “City”) are unconstitutional, according to the Complaint filed by At the Cross Fellowship Baptist Church (the “Church”), a congregation of...more

Federal Court Rejects Church’s Religious Land Use Claims Based on Government’s Legitimate Zoning Concerns

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 4/23/2018

A federal court in Nevada has ruled that the denial of a church’s special use permit application to develop property with a house of worship did not violate RLUIPA’s substantial burden provision, the Equal Protection Clause,...more

Religious Land Use Controversy Brewing in Laurel, Maryland: Can a Church Worship in a Coffee Shop?

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 3/13/2018

Redemption Community Church (the “Church”) has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Laurel, Maryland (the “City”), after the City issued a cease and desist order prohibiting the Church from offering religious services...more

Allenhurst, NJ Sued Under RLUIPA One Day and Settles the Next

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 2/7/2018

The Borough of Allenhurst, New Jersey has settled a lawsuit against an Orthodox Jewish group just one day after the group filed suit in federal court alleging violations of RLUIPA’s unreasonable limits and exclusions and...more

Church Alleges Religious Discrimination Over Baltimore County’s Conditions on Approval of Development Plan

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 1/16/2018

Maryland and the Board of Appeals of Baltimore County (together, “Baltimore County”), challenging Baltimore County’s conditional approval of the Church’s development plan, which sought to expand an existing house of worship. ...more

Religious Institutions Update: November 2017 - Lex Est Sanctio Sancta

Holland & Knight LLP on 11/30/2017

Timely Topics - Serious data breaches have become routine in the United States, yet a recent survey shows that the majority of religious institutions do not have a full-time IT professional, have no system to detect a...more

Additional Eruv Disputes in New Jersey

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 11/20/2017

We recently posted about a lawsuit filed by Bergen Rockland Eruv Association, Inc. (“BREA”) against the Township of Mahwah, New Jersey, regarding a dispute over the expansion of an eruv. Since then, eruv disputes have evoked...more

Kenyan Church Claims Baltimore County’s Land Use Regulations Impose Substantial Burden

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 10/25/2017

Last week, Jesus Christ is the Answer Ministries, Inc. (the “Church”), a nondenominational Christian church in Baltimore County, Maryland, and the Church’s pastor, Reverend Lucy Ware, filed suit against Baltimore County,...more

Municipality Prevails in Dispute Over Personal Chapel

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 9/14/2017

The City of Brier, Washington (City) has prevailed over claims that it violated the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and other federal law in a dispute over a variance application to construct a...more

City of Bayonne, New Jersey Sued Over Denial of Application to Build a Mosque

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 6/8/2017

Last month, Bayonne Muslims, a New Jersey not-for-profit religious congregation, sued the City of Bayonne, New Jersey (the “City”), challenging the City’s denial of certain variances needed to construct a mosque. ...more

New Jersey Township’s Recently Enacted Ordinances Alleged to Violate RLUIPA

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 5/26/2017

Earlier this month, Agudath Israel of America Inc. (“Agudath Israel”) sued the Township of Jackson, New Jersey (“Jackson”), challenging Jackson’s recently-enacted land use ordinances restricting schools from all but three...more

RLUIPA Implications of Trump’s Immigration Executive Order

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 2/21/2017

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a district court’s issuance of a temporary restraining order prohibiting the enforcement of Executive Order 13769 – “Protecting The Nation From...more

Religious Institutions Update: August 2016

Holland & Knight LLP on 8/19/2016

When was the last time your organization reviewed your insurance policies? Not all policies are equal. Many religious organizations are underinsured. Most should have general liability, property, professional liability,...more

Nomadic Church Sues New Jersey Township Over Denial of Use Variance

Robinson+Cole RLUIPA Defense on 11/4/2015

A predominantly African American Church of about 25 members known as My Father’s House Ministry, Inc. (Church) is suing Delanco Township, New Jersey over allegations that the Township violated both the Religious Land Use &...more

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Equal Protection › First Amendment › Religious Discrimination

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