September 12, 2019 4:00 pm

Monsey, NY- The U.S. Attorney’s Office may intervene in a civil rights lawsuit filed by Chasidic Jews in the village of Airmont in Rockland County, according to the Rockland Journal News. In the December 2018 lawsuit the Ridnik Chasidim claimed that the village was systematically discriminating against them and preventing them from praying in their homes by delaying approval of residential houses of worship.

The Chasidim also claimed discrimination regarding building and zoning violations allegedly enforced selectively by the village. Village officials denied the claims and are contesting the suit in U.S. District Court in White Plains.

The U.S Attorney’s Office is evaluating Airmont’s zoning and enforcement based on previous legal actions claiming discrimination against Chasidic Jews, and is considering whether to submit a statement of interest, i.e. a legal brief setting the prosecution’s position on the case.

The Ridnik lawsuit marked the fourth one accusing the village of discrimination since it formed along the southern tier of Ramapo in 1991, bordering New Jersey. The village lost the first two cases for using its zoning to block residential houses of worship and then schools with dormitories in the mid-1990s. The fights cost taxpayers several million dollars in legal fees and penalties.

Airmont boasts a large Chasidic community and is also the residence of renowned Chasidic singer Lipa Schmeltzer.

Source: VosIzNeias