MICHIGAN – An American Islamic school was awarded the biggest ever settlement in a lawsuit against Pittsfield Township, Massachusetts, for unlawfully denying it the right to build on its property.

“We welcome the settlement with Pittsfield Township and hope the outcome of this case will serve as a deterrent to other municipalities throughout the country seeking to deny Muslim institutions the right to build or expand their facilities on the basis of religion,” Lena Masri, the legal director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), said in a statement obtained by AboutIslam.net.

The lawsuit was filed by CAIR-MI on behalf of the Michigan Islamic Academy (MIA) against Pittsfield Township for unlawfully denying the Islamic school its right to build on its property.

Filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan in August 2012, it claimed violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), and the Establishment and Equal Protection Clauses of the United States Constitution.

The federal government intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of MIA in October 2015.

CAIR-MI said the settlement, one of the largest since RLUIPA was enacted, grants MIA the right to build a 70,000 square foot Islamic school, a residential development consisting of 22 duplex units and three single family homes, and a park.

The settlement also awards MIA $1.7 million.

“In a year when so much has gone wrong for the Muslim community, this settlement is an example of the good things that can happen when Muslim communities stand up for their rights,” said Gadeir Abbas, who served as co-counsel on the case.

“This case is a reminder that our country’s laws and institutions exist for the benefit of all Americans, including American Muslims,” said Jamal Aref, MIA Chairman of the Board of Trustees.