Bernards Township agrees to settle lawsuits with Islamic Society

BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - A town in New Jersey has agreed to settle two lawsuits over its denial of a proposed mosque.
The Bernards Township committee voted on Tuesday night to settle the lawsuits filed by the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge and the Department of Justice.
The lawsuits came in 2016 after the town denied the plan for a mosque. Some residents say their opposition is because of the location of the mosque, not religious intolerance. But founders of the mosque say the planning board's denial is illegal. Justice Department officials said the town discriminated against the Islamic Society based on religion, along with other claims.
The terms of the settlements were not immediately released.
A similar lawsuit cost nearby Bridgewater Township almost $8 million in a 2014 settlement.
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