Will Chabad win third fight for equal treatment? Court to decide Hearing will decide fate of discriminatory lawsuit against Florida synagogue

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Jewish congregation in Florida, which for 10 years has been trying to build a new house of worship, is going to court next week to defend itself against a lawsuit that seeks to discriminate against houses of worship (watch this video about the Chabad’s experience).

In Gagliardi v. The City of Boca Raton, Fla., two landowners opposed to the Chabad of East Boca Raton claim that the city “established a religion” by granting equal access for houses of worship, including synagogues, to be built in business districts. But equal access is required by federal law, and the landowners have already lost twice at the federal district court. They continue to delay by appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which will hear the case on Wednesday, January 31. Last year, national and international groups and local leaders filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the Chabad’s right to equal treatment. 

What:
Oral Argument in Gagliardi v. Boca Raton 

Who:
Payvand Ahdout, Kirkland & Ellis
Daniel Blomberg, counsel at Becket 

When:
Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern 

Where:
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
51 SW 1st Ave # 14, Miami, Fla. 33130

Payvand Ahdout will be presenting oral argument on behalf of the Chabad at the hearing. A Becket attorney will be available for comment immediately following the hearing.  

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Becket attorney, contact Melinda Skea at media@becketlaw.org or 202-349-7224. Interviews can be arranged in English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. 

Additional Information:                                              

• Video: What’s stopping synagogue construction in East Boca? 
• Media Kit (photos, graphics) Credit: Becket 
• District Court Decision (March 28, 2017) 
• Case Page for Gagliardi v. The City of Boca Raton, Florid

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Becket is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions and has a 100% win-rate before the United States Supreme Court. For over 20 years, it has successfully defended clients of all faiths, including Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Native Americans, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians (read more here).