Complaint - United States v City of Sterling Heights (E.D. Mich.)

On March 1, 2017, the court entered a consent order in United States v. City of Sterling Heights (E.D. Mich.). The complaint, which was filed on December 15, 2016, alleged that the City violated RLUIPA when it denied the American Islamic Community Center’s special land use application to build a mosque in the City. The complaint also alleged that the denial imposed a substantial burden on the religious exercise of the community intending to build a mosque without a compelling governmental justification pursued through the least restrictive means and discriminated against the community based on religion or religious denomination. The consent order requires the city to permit the AICC to construct a mosque in the city. The city has also agreed to publicize its non-discrimination policies and practices, undergo training on the requirements of RLUIPA, and report periodically to the Justice Department. A separate settlement resolving a similar lawsuit brought by the AICC against the city has also been submitted to the court for approval. The case was handled by the Department’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan.