The Islamic Society of Tulsa has filed a federal lawsuit against Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, alleging religious discrimination after the city council denied its request to build a mosque and community center.

PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Islamic Society of Tulsa has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and four city council members after officials denied its request to build a mosque and Islamic community center, alleging the decision violated the U.S. Constitution, the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and Oklahoma law by allegedly discriminating against Muslims. The city declined to comment on the lawsuit but confirmed the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether the denial violated federal religious land-use protections. DETAIL: According to the complaint, the Islamic Society purchased about 15 acres in Broken Arrow in 2014 to build a mosque, a community center, and a commercial development, with both city planning staff and the Planning Commission recommending approval. Despite those recommendations, the City Council voted 4–1 in January to reject the rezoning request and conditional use permit. The lawsuit alleges the council’s decision followed opposition from residents and local politicians and claims the city approved comparable rezoning requests for Christian churches and commercial developments while allowing those applicants to resolve traffic and engineering issues after approval. The Islamic Society is seeking a court order allowing the project to proceed, a declaration that the city’s actions were unlawful, and monetary damages, including attorneys’ fees. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has urged the Trump administration to halt the DOJ investigation, calling it federal overreach and arguing that land-use decisions should remain under state and local control. IMPACT: The lawsuit seeks a court order to allow the project to proceed, a declaration of the city’s actions as unlawful, and monetary damages, including attorneys’ fees. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly launched a civil rights investigation into whether Broken Arrow violated federal religious land-use protections.

Image by Don Sniegowski.

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