A major federal lawsuit has been filed by the developers of the proposed Jackson Trails project, alleging religious discrimination against Jackson Township in their refusal to allow the development to move forward.
The lawsuit, which is breathtaking in its scope and detail, alleges a clear pattern of discrimination by Jackson Township that is targeting Orthodox Jews and that it caved to anti-Orthodox sentiments fomented by certain Jackson residents and organizations created to block Jews from entering Jackson. The lawsuit alleges that the denial of Jackson Trail’s application is a direct continuation of anti-Orthodox ordinances passed by Jackson.
It also alleges that Jackson officials believe and are willing to act upon grand conspiracies about Orthodox Jews who are moving into Jackson.
One example given is regarding Jackson Business Administrator Terrence Wall who is shown to believe that Rabbi Aaron Kotler of BMG is the behind-the-scenes leader of everything, even though he is not known to have any connection to Jackson Trails or its developers.
The lawsuit mentions former Township officials Richard Egan and Sheldon Hofstein who resigned in disgrace following a TLS story proving their improper attendance and participation at a CUPON meeting targeting the Jackson Trails development project.
The litigation also references Clara Glory, the chairwoman of the Jackson GOP who made Facebook posts regarding the CUPON meeting and Eleanor Hannum, a Jackson resident who discussed illegally placing pine snakes on the Jackson Trails property in order to sink any chance of it being approved.
The lawsuit is now the second federal discrimination lawsuit filed against Jackson Township, while a third lawsuit is currently being heard in state court. Although Republican County Chairman Frank Holman has said that he is “working” on eliminating bias in Jackson Township town hall, his efforts appear to have had no effect as once again Jackson appears to have acted officially, to do all it can to keep Orthodox Jews out. TLS has previously covered numerous examples of Jackson officials’ apparently ill motives toward the Orthodox Jewish community, and we will continue to do so until the atmosphere of hate and discrimination dissipates.
Read the full text of the lawsuit below.
Jackson Trails v Township of Jackson - Complaint
Wow so the good old clara glory isnt as innocent as hollman says
Jackson needs help
Please add to the lawsuit
Purchase of Rova Farms to prevent Orthodox from buying an already approved abandoned church grounds and the purchase of 293 acres of key lands to prevent the Orthodox from building and moving there.
Guess what? Those who will be hurt most are the resodents of Jackson. Once the dust selttes and Jackson loses bitterly, the residents will be left holding the proverbial financial bag in the form of taxes.
Builders sue and all Jackson residents pay including all the new residents who do not speak for themselves and attempted to escape from Lakewood’s problems.
What’s upsetting is, i came to jackson and not lakewood specifically because of the developers. i love jackson the way it is and don’t want all these huge developments approved. i get nothing out of it. the people who ruined lakewood for money are now coming to jackson. i don’t want my quality of life ruined so they can make a buck. if this development project was denied for religious reasons, that’s wrong. if jackson wants to maintain a certain quality of life, then they should put in place proper zoning laws and enforce them.
To ee.
I’m just asking. If you had land worth millions of dollars and you could build houses in total conformance with the zoning laws ,I’m sure you would just donate it for use as a park and forfeit all the money right ?
you developers, knew we were moving to Jackson to get away from your over development, so stop chasing us!
all we ask, is the developers, leave the farms as farms, and leave one house as one house, kindly respect our way of country life!
Morde, the question is very naive. These developers are not buying up land in Kansas, they’re buying it here because they know we are moving here. It’s all about the gelt. Don’t make it sound like they happened to have had some properties in their portfolio, this is typical real estate. It’s calculated. And the calculation is what gives them profit, irrespective of the damage it does to the quality of life for others
Hope chapel Rd is packed every morning and evening, so is Whitesville Rd.
No more room for anyone to build,.
This isn’t about Jews moving in, No one should build, its about traffic!
Once upon a time Whitesville Rd was a short cut to everywhere because no one could get down Rt9 in Lakewood, Now Whitesville Rd is a main road. It can’t handle all the traffic, most days backed up to Faraday Rd. All this Traffic is changing everyone’s life.
I moved here for quiet not for city style anything.