A town in New Jersey that has been accused of passing anti-ultra-Orthodox laws banning boarding houses for yeshivas will pay a fine, along with tens of thousands of dollars it will have to transfer to anyone who has suffered the same discrimination | The town changes direction: “People of all religions are invited and have the right to practice their religion without discrimination”
The U.S. Department of Justice sued the city of Jackson for passing two laws in 2017 that banned dormitories and boarding schools and restricted places where ultra-Orthodox schools could be built, in an effort to deter ultra-Orthodox from moving to the city. The city of Jackson repealed the discriminatory law and will pay a $ 45,000 fine, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in New Jersey, the city will also pay $ 150,000 to a special fund for anyone who has suffered discrimination, according to a press release.
“Restrictions on areas intentionally targeting religious communities have no place in our society,” Attorney General Kristen Clark said in a statement, adding that “federal civil rights laws provide strong protections to ensure religious communities are treated equally and not discriminated against because of their faith.” “Members of the Orthodox Jewish community, and people of all religions, are invited to our communities and have the right to practice their religion without discrimination.”
According to the Department of Justice, the city of Jackson, in the Ocean District of New Jersey, has passed two regional regulations as the Orthodox Jewish population in the area has grown. The federal government sued the city in May 2020 on the grounds that Jackson violated the “Religious Land Use and Institutional Institutions Act, and the Fair Housing Act.”
About 1,000 Orthodox families out of the city’s 59,000 residents are Orthodox Jews, the federal government said in a settlement with the city. As part of the arrangement that still needs to be approved by a judge, officials have agreed to pass a new ordinance that will allow schools of all types, including schools with boarding schools to be established in the city. Mayor Michael Reina said in a statement that Jackson “welcomes and embraces people of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds.”
As you may recall, two years ago the New Jersey Department of Justice announced that a lawsuit had been filed against Jackson Town New Jersey, alleging that the municipality had implemented intentional regulations restricting the operation of ultra-Orthodox schools, and the town had done everything to prevent ultra-Orthodox from living there. The lawsuit alleges that the municipality harassed schools including yeshivot. The lawsuit alleges that the town passed two regulations, and the town’s planning council implemented those regulations in a way that discriminated against the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in violation of the Land Use Law for religious purposes. It was further alleged that the town did everything to prevent the establishment of boarding schools for yeshiva students.