City of Portsmouth, VA

The Friendship Temple filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over the church, at 812 Washington Street. Reverend Joseph Chase and his wife filed the case alleging the council had violated their civil right to freedom of religion when it voted to deny Friendship Temple a use permit to reopen the vacant building as a church. The city of Portsmouth has agreed to pay Friendship Temple $1.2 million in cash and give the congregation 1.8 acres of publicly owned land for a new church. (May-12-06) [HAMPTON ROADS]

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