Friday, June 04, 2021

Catholic Group Challenges Zoning Refusal To Allow Building Of Chapel

Suit was filed this week in a Michigan federal district court challenging Genoa Township's refusal to allow a Catholic religious organization to develop and construct a 95-seat Chapel and prayer campus on land it acquired from the Diocese of Lansing in 2020. The Township has also demanded that all religious signage already on the property be removed. The complaint (full text) in Catholic Healthcare International, Inc. v. Genoa Charter Township, (ED MI, filed 6/2/2021), alleges that the Township's actions violate plaintiff's rights under RLUIPA, the Michigan Constitution and the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. American Freedom Law Center issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.