Muslim nonprofit sues Islip zoning board, says town caved to Islamophobic pressure in blocking Bay Shore school boarding

The United American Muslim Association has filed a lawsuit claiming the Town of Islip's zoning board caved to Islamophobic pressure when it reversed course and blocked students from boarding at the group's planned school in Bay Shore, according to court papers and local reports.

The organization purchased the property at 26 Saxton Ave. for more than $5 million last year and plans to operate the Bay Shore Academy, offering Islamic schooling to 120 boys, News 12 Long Island reported. The Zoning Board of Appeals ruled in September that housing students on the site did not comply with zoning regulations and failed to meet accessory-use requirements.

According to the lawsuit, the town had approved the plan, including boarding, in January, and before the purchase the town's plans examiner confirmed in writing that both the school and boarding use were permitted. After two residents appealed that determination in May, the board reversed itself following a packed five-hour public meeting in July and a wave of anti-Muslim comments in neighborhood Facebook groups documented in the filing, the New York Post reported. The plans had not changed between the initial approval and the reversal, leading the group's attorneys to argue that what changed was the hostility directed at the project, according to court papers.

The property operated as a Catholic seminary and boarding school run by the Montfort Missionaries from 1926 to 1972, and its dormitories remain standing. "For nearly fifty years, students lived, learned and prayed on this property - UAMA seeks to open those doors again - the faith of the students may change, [but] the law's protection must remain constant," attorney Muhammad Faridi said, as quoted by the Post.

The nonprofit is asking the court to annul the board's decision, saying letting it stand would force the organization to seek discretionary approvals that could delay the school's opening by months. It is also seeking costs and disbursements. A town spokesperson said Islip had "no comment" on the lawsuit, according to News 12.