Miller Quoted in Columbus Dispatch Story Titled ‘Noor Islamic Center Sues Hilliard for Discrimination, Violation of Constitutional Rights’

Joe Miller, a partner in the firm’s Columbus office and chair of the litigation group, was quoted in a Columbus Dispatch story about a lawsuit filed in federal court by an entity owned by the Noor Islamic Cultural Center against the City of Hilliard and its city council and city manager related to the redevelopment of a 200,000 sq. ft. vacant office building purchased by Noor.  Noor wants to transform the building into a vibrant neighborhood center that will provide economic opportunities and religious services to the Hilliard community and the mosque’s members.  Noor carefully created plans to redesign building to comply with Hilliard’s zoning law but those plans have been rejected time-after-time by the city.  

The Columbus Dispatch story states:

“Joe Miller, an attorney representing BPH, told reporters at an April 14 press conference outside U.S. District Court in downtown Columbus that Hilliard put up barriers to Noor despite multiple attempts from the mosque to work with them.

‘The city hopes that the Noor Islamic Cultural Center will go away and just relinquish the building — federal civil rights laws, however, exist for situations such as this,’ Miller said. ‘Never in my over 25 years of practice have I ever seen such overt discrimination and clear violations of a property owner’s civil rights and right to express their faith.’”

To read the entire story on the Columbus Dispatch website, click here. (Subscription may be required).