Orthodox synagogue suing Orange County over denied expansion request

Synagogue suing Orange County over denied expansion

The Orlando Torah Center (OTC), an Orthodox synagogue in Orange County, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination after the Orange County Board of County Commissioners denied its zoning request to expand.

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orthodox synagogue in Orange County has filed a federal lawsuit accusing county officials of violating religious freedom laws by denying its request to expand.

What we know:

The Orlando Torah Center (OTC), an Orthodox synagogue in Orange County, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination after the Orange County Board of County Commissioners denied its zoning request to expand. 

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The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claims the decision violates constitutional and federal protections, including the First Amendment, RLUIPA, and Florida’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how the county will respond to the allegations or whether it plans to revisit the denial. The specific rationale behind the Board’s vote and the extent of consideration given to public opposition—some of which allegedly included antisemitic remarks—has not been fully detailed by county officials.

The backstory:

OTC has operated in the Sand Lake Hills neighborhood since 2015, serving a growing Orthodox Jewish congregation. Though multiple churches, a public school, and a daycare have reportedly received similar zoning approvals in nearby districts, OTC’s request was rejected following a contentious public process. The synagogue contends that unequal treatment and religious bias influenced the outcome.

What they're saying:

Attorneys for the synagogue argue that Orlando Torah Center (OTC) was unfairly denied zoning approval to expand its facility, despite similar permissions being granted to nearby churches, a public school, and a daycare center in comparable zoning districts.

"The tenor of the opposition has not been about the effect of the actual congregation on the neighborhood, but rather about who is going to worship there," said Roman Storzer, counsel for OTC and a national expert on First Amendment and religious land use law. "There is a growing community of orthodox Jews in the area, and they do need a place of worship that they can walk to because they cannot drive motor vehicles on the Sabbath."

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The lawsuit claims the county has approved similar requests for other churches in residential areas and that the county denying the center’s request to expand is infringing on their right to exercise their religion. 

The other side:

Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe said it’s not about religion, but about the center impeding on neighboring homes in the housing subdivision with excessive parking and noise violations.

"I will speak for myself. I was not swayed on religion. I don’t have any disrespect to any religion as a proud Catholic. I have never even considered that as an issue," said Commissioner Uribe. "We didn’t discuss religion. We discussed respect and acknowledgment of the community that was frustrated on the code enforcement violations that were taking place."