An Orthodox Jewish homeowner in Ohio is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit after city officials tried to force him to obtain a permit to have small prayer gatherings in his home.
Daniel Grand of University Heights practices Orthodox Jewish practices that call for communal prayer with at least ten men. In January 2021, he invited neighbors to join him in his home because the closest synagogue was too far to talk on the Sabbath.
One of the neighbors complained to then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan. City officials sent Grand a cease-and-desist order demanding that he stop using his home for a religious assembly without first obtaining a special-use permit.
The homeowner started the application, but then withdrew it after finding out the process was designed for large institutional buildings and could force him and his family to move out. Under zoning rules for churches and synagogue, reclassifying his property as non-residential would mean Grand and his family could not continue to reside there.
In Ohio???
— Christopher Shaker (@cjshaker) June 15, 2026
Orthodox Jew asks Supreme Court to hear case after city allegedly targeted his home prayer group
Daniel Grand alleges University Heights officials encouraged neighbors to spy on himhttps://t.co/mRVakOMvfM
Grand claims city officials encourage neighbors to keep and eye on his home and report on activity that could violate the city’s rules. Police drove by the home frequently and trash collection at the home was skipped for weeks.
After Grand sued the city, it said he can host a small minivan in his home without going through the planning process. Current Mayor Michele Weiss’ administration reached out and informed Grand that small prayer gatherings do not require the full permitting steps and stressed that the city did not prevent him from praying in his own home.
Grand’s lawyers chided the city for its about face after he filed the lawsuit.
A federal district court dismissed key parts of Grand’s lawsuit in 2024, saying it was invalid because Grand did not complete the application process. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in November 2025.
Grand petitioned the Supreme Court in February, represented by attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom.
This is yet another case showing how zoning laws can be used to infringe on people’s rights — and common sense. Grand was not harming anyone else by having some guys over to pray in his own home. The notion that such activity would require the involvement of the government is ludicrous and the fact that a lawsuit was necessary shows how little some local governments care about liberty.
The First Amendment protects our right to assembly and to practice whichever religion we choose. There are no provisions allowing for local governments to require a permit to do either. This is just another example of overzealous local officials flexing their power while making life difficult for residents.
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