well Jackson Township is being hit with a half a million dollar settlement by the State Attorney General's office it's all to resolve allegations the municipality used zoning and land use laws to discriminate against the growing Orthodox Jewish population there it's just the latest in multiple years worth of legal drama with the town over the alleged discriminatory practices the settlement includes a hundred fifty thousand dollar fund for anyone harmed by Jackson Township's actions and requires the municipality to adopt new policies that protect religious freedoms while repealing the old ordinances according to the complaints officials in the town are accused of surveilling homes of Orthodox Jews specifically during communal prayer Gatherings of creating zoning laws in 2017 that prevented local Jews from building yeshivas and dormitories and from erecting sukkas their temporary outdoor structures used to celebrate the holidays to coat among other things [Music]