Lawsuit
LawsuitiStock

A federal lawsuit brought by the owners of a property in Forestburgh, New York alleges that town officials have blocked their ability to build homes on the 3.3 square mile stretch of land because they are observant Jews.

The lawsuit accuses the town and town officials of revoking construction permits, violating the rights of the property owners to construct houses there because they are Hasidic Jews, according to Mid Hudson News.

Forestburgh is located around 100 miles northwest of New York City and has a population of 808 as of the 2020 census.

The plaintiffs’ co-counsel in the lawsuit, Steven Barshov, told the news outlet that Forestburgh’s attempt to stop home construction on the property stems from their opposition to religions Jews moving to the town.

“There is no mystery. The owners of the property are Hasidic Jewish and the allegations in the complaint go into great detail as to why it is the result of antisemitism,” he said.

According to the suit, the previous owners of the property had been given approval from a town board to build 2,600 single family condos, townhouses and cottages as well as amenities and a golf course.

The plaintiffs claim that their rights under the New York and US Constitutions were violated when the town blocked their building permits.