United States v. City of Lomita (C.D. Cal.)

On March 8, 2013, the United States filed a complaint and agreed order in United States v. City of Lomita (C.D. Cal.). The complaint alleges that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when it denied the Islamic Center of the South Bay's application to tear down the aging and scattered structures on its property and construct a new mosque. The denial is alleged to have created a substantial burden on the religious exercise of the Islamic Center and its members. The agreed order requires the city to consider a renewed application by the Islamic Center on an expedited schedule contained in a separate agreement between the city and the Islamic Center. The settlement also contains recordkeeping, reporting, and training requirements for city officials. The court entered the agreed order on March 8, 2013.