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Faith-Based Treatment Group Wins $968K In Suit Over Zoning Denial

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee a federal court jury awarded damages totalling $967,995 to Teen Challenge, a faith-based Christian drug addiction treatment program. According to a release by American Center for Law and Justice, and a report yesterday by the Tennessean, the jury found that Metro Nashville government violated the equal protection clause, the Fair Housing Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act when it changed its zoning laws to prevent the group from building a treatment center on 13 acres of land it had purchased. Originally the city-county government had approved Teen Challenge's request for a use permit, but after public opposition, in 2007 the zoning law was amended to eliminate rehabilitation services as a permitted use in areas zoned agricultural. This forced Teen Challenge to sell off the land.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 12, 2008 (boomark / email).