Representative Matters

2017 AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA V. JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. AL MADANY ISLAMIC CENTER OF NORWALK, INC. V. CITY OF NORWALK, CONN. ALBANIAN ASSOCIATED FUND V. TOWNSHIP OF WAYNE, N.J. AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE V. PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES BENSALEM MASJID V. BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA BERKOWITZ V. EAST RAMAPO CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, N.Y. BETHEL WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRIES V. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. BIKUR CHOLIM, INC. V. VILLAGE OF SUFFERN, N.Y. BUDDHIST EDUCATION CENTER OF AMERICA, INC., V. CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF TOMS RIVER V. TOWNSHIP OF TOMS RIVER, N.J. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHAPEL WESLEYAN CHURCH V. TOWNSHIP OF HILLSBOROUGH CONAWAY V. DEANE CONGREGATION ARIEL RUSSIAN COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE V. BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD. CONGREGATION HEICHEL DOVID CONGREGATION KOLLEL, INC. V. TOWNSHIP OF HOWELL, N.J. CONGREGATION MISCHKNOIS LAVIER YAKOV V. BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE VILLAGE OF AIRMONT, N.Y. CONGREGATION RABBINICAL COLLEGE OF TARTIKOV V. VILLAGE OF POMONA, N.Y. COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA V. ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OF TOWNSHIP OF CEDAR GROVE, N.J. DAYALBAGH RADHASOAMI SATSANG ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA V. TOWNSHIP OF OLD BRIDGE, N.J. EAGLE COVE CAMP & CONFERENCE CENTER V. TOWN OF WOODBORO, WISC. FAITH TEMPLE CHURCH V. TOWN OF BRIGHTON, N.Y. FIRST PENTECOSTAL UNITED HOLY CHURCH V. CITY OF CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA FISHERMEN OF MEN CHURCH, APPLICATION OF, D.C. GREAT LAKES SOCIETY V. GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, MICH. GREENWICH REFORM SYNAGOGUE V. TOWN OF GREENWICH, CONN. GURU GOBIND SINGH SIKH CENTER V. TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, N.Y. HARBOR MISSIONARY CHURCH V. CITY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA, CAL. HINDU TEMPLE AND CULTURAL SOCIETY OF USA V. BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, N.J. HUNT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH V. BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD. HUNT VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH V. BALTIMORE COUNTY JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANSWER MINISTRIES V. BALTIMORE COUNTY KELLEY, THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, AND THE GOVERNING BODY COMMISSION V. GARUDA MOXLEY V. TOWN OF WALKERSVILLE, MD. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AMISH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM NAVAJO NATION V. UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE NEW BEGINNINGS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP V. TOWNSHIP OF BRICK PARAMESWARAN V. MYSOREKAR RIVERDALE BAPTIST CHURCH V. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD. ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN CHURCH V. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF BOULDER COUNTY SAHANSRA V. WESTCHESTER COUNTY HEALTH CARE CORPORATION SPIRIT OF ALOHA TEMPLE V. COUNTY OF MAUI ST. JOHN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST V. INDIANAPOLIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, IND. ST. JOHN´S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST V. CITY OF CHICAGO THAI MEDITATION ASSOCIATION OF ALABAMA V. CITY OF MOBILE PLANNING COMMISSION THIRD CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST V. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW BOARD TROTMAN V. BEN GILMAN SPRING VALLEY MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINIC VALLEY CHABAD V. BOROUGH OF WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. YESHIVA GEDOLA NA'OS YAAKOV V. OCEAN TWP., N.J.

Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center v. Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y.

11/23/2016: Victory in Sikh temple RLUIPA suit in Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Ending a long-running dispute with the Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y., under the terms of a federal Consent Order, S&A client Guru Gobind Singh Center will be permitted to complete contruction of its new Temple, shortly after its lawsuit was filed against the Town asserting violations of RLUIPA and the Constitution:

Construction is expected to continue on a partially completed Sikh temple in New York after its congregation sued a Long Island town in June for halting work, according to an agreement the two sides reached this week. The town and the Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center also agreed that the town board should no longer be authorized to serve as the oversight committee for the site plan approval process, according to the settlement in U.S. District Court in New York's Eastern District.

"After meeting with both residents and congregants over the past few months to resolve this issue, with the ultimate goal here being that the temple would be built in a fair manner consistent with local, state, and federal laws, I believe this settlement represents the best outcome that could have possibly been hoped for by all parties involved," town Councilwoman Rebecca Alesia told NBC News in an email.

C. Fuchs, "Sikh Congregation, Town Settle Lawsuit over Stopped Temple Construction," NBC News (Nov. 17, 2016)

Construction of a Sikh temple in Plainview is expected to resume after the Oyster Bay town board votes Tuesday on a settlement in a civil rights lawsuit. The Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center in Plainview sued the town in June after the board and Town Supervisor John Venditto issued an executive order in February to halt construction and take over oversight from the planning and development department.

The settlement would end the lawsuit filed in U.S. Eastern District Court that alleged the town had violated the congregation’s religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.

T. Philips, "Construction of Sikh temple in Plainview expected to resume," Newsday (Nov. 14, 2016).

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered the Consent Order on November 23, 2016.

08/02/2016: New York Law Journal reports on Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center lawsuit

New York Law Journal reports on S&A client's civil rights action against the Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y. for preventing completion of Sikh temple:

Storzer, whose firm has taken on dozens of religious land use cases, explained the interpretation of RLUIPA by some municipalities. "Some zoning boards will take their obligation to follow the law very seriously," he said. "They include that in their considerations, . . . . Then there are zoning boards that absolutely ignore it."

S. Betancourt, "Long Island Sikh Temple Files Federal Religious Freedom Suit," New York Law Journal (Aug. 2, 2016)

"Members of Plainview Sikh center claim civil rights violated; sue Town of Oyster Bay," News12 Long Island (June 30, 2016)

Roman Storzer, co-counsel for the Temple said: “I’ve never seen a violation of RLUIPA as blatant as this.” “To process the Temple’s applications, accept their fees, approve the building, allow them to spend enormous sums for construction, and then to prevent its completion, is as significant a burden on constitutionally protected religious worship as I’ve ever seen.”

"Sikh temple files federal lawsuit against Town of Oyster Bay, NY," Indian Panorama (July 10, 2016)

A Sikh congregation is suing a Long Island town for halting construction on its new temple, arguing that officials did so to allegedly appease some residents who were "hostile towards the temple and its religious worship."

C. Fuchs, "Sikh Congregation Sues Town After Temple Construction Halted," NBC News (Aug. 4, 2016)

06/30/2016: Newsday reports on S&A client Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center's lawsuit filed against the Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y.

A Plainview Sikh congregation filed a federal lawsuit against Oyster Bay on Wednesday alleging that its civil rights were violated when the town board halted construction on its temple in February. The civil suit, filed in U.S. Eastern District Court, alleges that the town government imposed “burdensome, discriminatory, and unreasonable land use regulations” when it stopped the Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center from finishing the project.

T. Phillips, "Plainview Sikh congregation sues Oyster Bay over construction," Newsday (June 30, 2016)

"Members of Plainview Sikh center claim civil rights violated; sue Town of Oyster Bay," News12 Long Island (June 30, 2016)

The Center is represented by S&A and the New York law firm of Savad Churgin, LLP.