By Susannah Bryan | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
COOPER CITY – Nine months after losing a federal discrimination lawsuit, the city has reached an $800,000 settlement with an Orthodox Jewish synagogue that claimed Cooper City used zoning laws to kick out the Chabad of Nova Outreach Center.
“It’s time for Cooper City and the Chabad to mend their fences and move on. And hopefully no other religious [groups] will have the same problems Chabad did,” said attorney Franklin Zemel, who led the two-year legal battle against the city.
In 2005, Rabbi Shmuel Posner was forced to close his center after city officials told him it was not allowed in the city’s business district. Posner filed suit in May 2007.
A year after being booted out, Posner opened his outreach center in a Davie shopping center three blocks from the Griffin Road storefront he left behind.
On Monday, Posner said he hopes to return to Cooper City when a space becomes available.
“I’m praying for it,” he said.
In July, U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga ruled the city violated federal law by banning religious groups from business districts. The city has since changed its code.
A Miami jury awarded Chabad $325,750. The rabbi will receive $330,000, which includes the jury award plus 2.5 percent interest. The rest will go to pay attorneys’ fees.
The settlement will be paid by Florida Municipal Insurance Trust, the city’s insurer.
I’m been in Florida a while, never heard of this Shliach.. who’s he married to? how long has he been there?
Shluchim take note – this is an alternate source of finance.
Zoning laws didn’t even exist before the 1900’s. Now they are used to exclude kedusha – let them pay.
Good for you Rabbi Posner. BH you won the case. May you continue your holy work of Chabad Shlichus.
Henya Laine