Biden’s DOJ launches legal attack on a small Idaho town for denying permits to conservative evangelical churches while allowing secular businesses to operate in the same area.
Key Takeaways
- The Department of Justice has sued Troy, Idaho for denying Christ Church a conditional use permit, claiming religious discrimination under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
- City officials rejected the church’s permit application while allowing non-religious assemblies in the same downtown business district, raising serious constitutional concerns.
- Public comments during hearings revealed what the DOJ describes as clear animus against the church’s conservative religious views rather than legitimate zoning concerns.
- Troy subsequently passed a new ordinance specifically banning churches from the central business district, further suggesting targeted discrimination.
- The lawsuit seeks to compel the city to allow Christ Church to worship at the location and require training on federal religious discrimination laws for city personnel.
DOJ Intervenes Against Small Town’s Religious Discrimination
The Justice Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Troy, Idaho, for allegedly violating religious freedom protections by denying a zoning permit to Christ Church, a conservative evangelical congregation seeking to expand into the small town. The DOJ’s complaint asserts that Troy violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) when its city council rejected the church’s application for a conditional use permit to hold services in a downtown building while allowing secular assemblies to operate in the same area. The federal intervention comes after a Christ Church elder purchased a vacant former bank building in downtown Troy for church services and office space.
According to the federal complaint, Troy’s land use ordinance required conditional approval for new churches regardless of zone, but the approval process revealed troubling indicators of religious bias. When Christ Church applied for the necessary permit, public comments largely opposed the application based on disagreement with the church’s conservative ideology rather than legitimate zoning concerns. Despite the church’s willingness to address practical matters like parking and traffic, the city council voted unanimously to reject the permit application, citing concerns about the church not enhancing the commercial district – a standard not equally applied to non-religious entities.
Religious Beliefs Targeted Under Guise of Zoning
The lawsuit highlights what appears to be a pattern of targeted discrimination against Christ Church, which has faced opposition in the region due to its traditional Christian teachings. After denying the church’s permit application, Troy doubled down by adopting a new ordinance in April 2025 that specifically banned churches and religious facilities in the central business district. This timing and specificity have raised serious concerns about the city’s motivations, especially considering the DOJ’s documentation of public comments demonstrating animus against the church’s conservative theological positions on matters like gender roles.
Trump Justice Dept takes on a city that denied a permit to Christ Church to hold services in its downtown zoning district, where nonreligious assembly uses such as clubs, museums, auditoriums, & art galleries were allowed. https://t.co/Cb6pwvynWx
— John R Lott Jr. (@JohnRLottJr) May 29, 2025
“RLUIPA unequivocally forbids local governments from deciding zoning matters based on their dislike of certain religious groups. The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that discriminate in land use matters on the basis of the applicants’ religious beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon
The DOJ’s lawsuit seeks both to compel the city to allow the church to worship at the location and to mandate training on federal religious discrimination laws for city personnel. This case represents an important stand for religious liberty against what appears to be government hostility toward traditional Christian beliefs. The federal government’s intervention underscores the serious nature of the alleged violations and the constitutional protections that guarantee religious organizations equal treatment under the law regardless of their theological positions.
City Officials Deny Religious Bias While Evidence Mounts
Troy city officials continue to deny any religious discrimination, claiming their decision was based solely on preserving the commercial district and managing limited municipal resources. City attorney Todd Richardson has attempted to frame the issue as one of zoning practicality rather than religious hostility. “We have no complaints about Christ Church being in town. We have concerns about overwhelming that zone,” Richardson stated. However, the DOJ lawsuit meticulously documents multiple instances where the city’s actions appear to target the church specifically while allowing similar secular uses in the same zone.
“The content of things that I say should have nothing to do with whether a church is allowed to meet. You don’t approve a religious assembly based upon your disagreement with certain views expressed,” said Christ Church pastor Douglas Wilson
Christ Church elder Matt Meyer, who purchased the building, has expressed willingness to address any legitimate city concerns regarding practical matters like parking and traffic. However, according to the federal complaint, the city never requested conditions to mitigate these issues, suggesting the denial was preordained based on opposition to the church’s conservative theology. This case highlights the growing tension between progressive local governments and traditional religious organizations, with federal authorities stepping in to ensure constitutional protections for religious liberty remain intact against local government overreach.
