United States v. City of Walnut, California (C.D. Cal.)

On August 4, 2011, the court approved an agreed order resolving the United States' injunctive and declaratory claims in United States v. City of Walnut (C.D. Cal.). The complaint, filed on September 30, 2010, alleged that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), when, in 2008, it denied a conditional use permit to the Chung Tai Zen Center. The Zen Center sought the permit so that it could build and operate a Buddhist house of worship at property it then owned in the city. The agreed order, which is enforceable by the court, mandates that the City of Walnut not impose differential zoning or building requirements on other houses of worship. 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 procedures that clarify its appeals process for houses of worship, and will report periodically to the Justice Department. The Buddhist house of worship's private claims have not been settled, and trial is expected to occur in April or May 2012.