Here's what Jackson will do to settle its discrimination suit with New Jersey

JACKSON - The township will pay hundreds of thousands in penalties and rewrite "discriminatory" zoning laws that launched a bevy of lawsuits as part of a settlement with the New Jersey attorney general, it was announced Monday.

The settlement was announced less than a week after the township council gave the go-ahead and more than two years after Platkin's predecessor, former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, accused township officials of taking action designed to "appease township residents who reacted to the township's growing Orthodox Jewish population by expressing hate and fear on social media, in complaints to township officials and in public meetings."

As part of the settlement, the township must pay $575,000, including a $150,000 restitution fund for individuals harmed by the township's actions, the Attorney General's Office said in a news release. The township could be liable for another $150,000 penalty if the terms of the settlement are violated.

“No one in New Jersey should face discrimination for their religious beliefs," Platkin said in a statement. “We are firmly committed to eliminating discrimination and bias across our state, and we expect local leaders to comply with our robust antidiscrimination laws.

"The settlement announced today is a powerful testament to our commitment to protecting residents’ right to religious freedom.”

In an unsigned statement, the township pinned the lawsuit on the former township council members who approved ordinances that banned the construction of new schools, dormitories and eruvim — ceremonial wires that allow practicing Jews to carry objects during the Sabbath and certain holidays.

It acknowledges, for the first time since those ordinances were passed in 2017, that they were proposed "in response to antisemitic comments from members of the public demanding the township try to stop the influx of Orthodox Jews moving into the community."

The township pursued a settlement only because "the actions of the prior council severely weakened the township's defense to the state's claims," but says "current township officials deny any discriminatory conduct on their watch."

Mayor Michael Reina, who has held office since 2009, signed each of the ordinances banning dormitories, schools and eruvim. He did not return a call seeking comment.

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The consent order, released Monday, outlines similar requirements to the township's 2022 settlement with the Justice Department, whose lawsuit covered much of the same ground as the New Jersey case and required the township to rewrite its zoning laws to regulate where new schools and dormitories could be constructed.

The new settlement requires the township to draft a new ordinance addressing eruvim, ceremonial wires — often constructed on utility poles — that allow practicing Jews to carry objects during the Sabbath and certain holidays.

The township must also specifically detail its permitting requirements for sukkahs, temporary shelters constructed outside the home for use during the Sukkot holiday, to the state and prominently publish the information on the municipal website.

The office's Division of Civil Rights will monitor and could formally object to any decision or action by the township that could affect religious land use.

“Religious freedom is a bedrock principle of American democracy, and we are deeply committed to protecting it here in New Jersey,” said Sundeep Iyer, director of the civil rights division. “As hate and bias — including against the Jewish community — continue to rise, it is critical that we call out religious discrimination when we see it, and it is especially important that we hold public officials accountable when they treat people differently based on their faith."

Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and a little bit of everything else. He's won a few awards that make his parents very proud. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Here's how Jackson will settle its discrimination suit with NJ