By Brianna Davis
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Baltimore County Council is considering hiring a national law firm to help it fight five lawsuits in which local religious institutions claim the county violated their rights under federal law.
Deputy County Attorney Greg Gaskins told the council Tuesday afternoon that lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor and Preston LLP would act as the lead attorney in three of the lawsuits and provide assistance to his office on two other cases.
He said the firm would also help the county in any other lawsuits that may arise from churches, synagogues and other religious organizations that believe local zoning regulations are hampering their ability to practice their beliefs.
The contract, which is likely to come before the council for a vote next week, would be retroactive to Jan. 1 and run until Dec. 31, 2022. It could be extended for up to three years, Gaskins said.
The county would pay Whiteford, Taylor and Preston up to $1.5 million plus other case-related expenses over the possible seven years of the contract. The firm has five offices in Maryland, including Towson and Baltimore, as well as offices in Washington, DC, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia and Kentucky.
Baltimore County is facing five lawsuits from religious organizations that believe the county has violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a 2000 federal statute that protects churches and other religious groups from zoning law obligations that restrict their ability to exercise their religion.
“This [law] prohibits the government from treating religious organizations on less than equal terms with non-religious organizations,” Gaskins said.
In one case, Hunt Valley Baptist Church claims that it was subjected to religious discrimination because the Baltimore County Board of Appeals denied its request for a “special exception” zoning application. The church also claimed that Baltimore County violated the Maryland Declaration of Rights as well as the First and Fourteenth amendments.
The other cases involve the ARIEL Russian Community Synagogue, Friends of Lubavitch, Hunt Valley Presbyterian Church and Jesus Christ is the Answer Ministries.
Whiteford, Taylor and Preston will provide services dealing with motions work, discovery responses, settlement discussions, trial and appellate work.
The contract started at the beginning of this year and ends on Dec. 31, 2022. Three additional one-year contracts could be granted with the option to extend the original term, upon approval from the council. It also gives the county rights to take control of any RLUIPA litigation and request Whiteford, Taylor and Preston LLP’s assistance at any time.