Discrimination News

Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Religious Discrimination by City of Hollywood, Florida

The Justice Department today announced an agreement to a lawsuit filed by the Department against the City of Hollywood, Fla., resolving allegations that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) by discriminating against the Hollywood Community Synagogue based on its religious denomination, the Chabad Lubavitch movement of Orthodox Judaism.

The settlement agreement, which must still be approved by a federal district judge, resolves the case between the United States and the City of Hollywood, as well as a consolidated lawsuit filed by the Hollywood Community Synagogue against the city and a city commissioner.

“All religious associations must be treated equally and fairly under the law,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “I am pleased that we could reach an agreement with the City of Hollywood that protects and respects the rights of the Chabad to practice its religious beliefs on its property.

The case arose from the city's handling and ultimate denial of the Hollywood Community Synagogue's application for a zoning permit to operate a synagogue from two single-family homes in a residential district of the city. According to the government's complaint, the city routinely grants permits to houses of worship to operate in residential neighborhoods, but denied such a permit to the Hollywood Community Synagogue. The city also allows other religious and non-religious assemblies to operate in residential neighborhoods, but has not taken action against any of them for violating the city's zoning regulations. The complaint alleges that the differential treatment of the synagogue was due to its religious denomination. Read more at usdoj.gov

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	Did You Know?
	There is a time limit for filing a charge of dicrimination A charge must be filed with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation.