TROY, Idaho — The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the town of Troy, alleging officials discriminated against Christ Church, an evangelical group that has been expanding its presence throughout the Palouse region.
The legal action stems from the city’s denial of a conditional use permit (CUP) for a downtown property purchased by Matt Meyer, an elder of Christ Church.
Meyer bought an old bank building on Main Street with plans to transform it into an event center and rent it to Christ Church as a place of worship.
Troy officials have been working to revitalize the town’s Main Street, which has struggled economically. The two-block stretch is zoned exclusively for commercial use, requiring businesses that don’t meet that standard to apply for CUPs.
Meyer followed this process, but after receiving public feedback, the Troy City Council rejected his application. Meyer then took his case to the Department of Justice, claiming the decision violated his religious rights.
“As someone who’s not a lawyer, yeah I think that the RLUIPA guidelines were clearly broken,” Meyer said.
RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, prohibits government entities from making zoning decisions based on their dislike of certain religious groups, according to the Justice Department.
Christ Church has developed a reputation in the community through its controversial teachings and expansion efforts. The church has purchased several properties across the Palouse region, including in Moscow and Troy.
Todd Richardson, the attorney representing the city of Troy, disputes the allegation that the permit was rejected because of religious discrimination.
“That’s not true,” Richardson said. “If you’re sitting on Main Street, look north, the old high school is there. That’s owned by Christ Church. When they say they didn’t have a place to meet, they own the old high school. Did they have a place to meet? You tell me. They own the gymnasium, they own the auditorium, they own every bit of that old building.”
Richardson added, “If the Feds had told the truth in their complaint, most of the nation would’ve taken a yawn and turned the page.”
Meyer countered that while members of the church own the high school property, it has limited availability for Sunday services.
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