United States v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville (M.D. Tenn.)

On January 30, 2009, the court entered a consent decree resolving United States v. Metro. Gov. of Nashville (M.D. Tenn.) The complaint, filed on September 29, 2008, alleged that the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metropolitan Government) violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by discriminating against Teen Challenge, a Christian substance abuse treatment program. The complaint alleged that the Metropolitan Government discriminated against individuals with disabilities in violation of the FHA and imposed a substantial burden on religious exercise in violation of RLUIPA. According to the complaint, the Metropolitan Government denied Teen Challenge a building permit to operate in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and amended its zoning code in a manner that prevented Teen Challenge from using the property. The consent decree requires the Metropolitan Government to train nearly 100 employees and officials who make zoning and land use decisions on the requirements of the FHA and RLUIPA, to appoint a compliance officer to receive complaints and ensure compliance with the settlement, and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department. As part of the settlement, the Metropolitan Government rescinded the amendment to its zoning code that affected Teen Challenge and adopted a reasonable accommodation policy for individuals with disabilities. The Metropolitan Government will also pay a $20,000 civil penalty to the United States and $50,000 to participants in Teen Challenge's program.