NY Village Sued By US For Prohibiting Religious Boarding Schools

Last Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan (press release) filed a religious discrimination suit against officials of Airmont, New York, according to an article in today's Rockland Journal News. According to the federal government, the village bans boarding schools while it permits other group residential facilities. This prevents Hasidic Jews from establishing yeshivot (religious schools). The law suit alleges violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Ten years ago, the village lost a similar suit that challenged its restrictions on home synagogues being established. Airmont has already entered a settlement with one yeshiva that will permit it to build a dormitory and married student housing, but the settlement is being challenged in state court by other Airmont residents.