United States v. City of Hollywood (S.D. Fla.)

On July 7, 2006, the Court entered consent orders resolving both the Synagogue's and the Division's lawsuits against the City in United States v. City of Hollywood (S.D. Fla.), a RLUIPA case in which the Division alleges that the City of Hollywood, Florida violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc et seq, when, among other things, the City denied the Hollywood Community Synagogue's application for a special exception. The consent orders resolving the United States complaint against the City of Hollywood that the Division filed on April 26, 2005. As part of the consent order between the city and the United States, the city agreed to allow the Hollywood Community Synagogue to operate permanently as a house of worship at its properties, and to expand if it should acquire additional properties within a block of its current location. The city also agreed that its leaders and managers, and certain city employees, will attend training on the requirements of RLUIPA. In addition, the city will adopt new complaint procedures, and report periodically regarding matter related to compliance with the Order to the Justice Department. In a separate consent order between the city and the Synagogue, filed with the court at the same time, the city also agreed to pay the Synagogue $2 million in damages and attorneys fees and costs.