Daniel Grand, an Orthodox Jewish homeowner in University Heights, Ohio, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit against the city, claiming that officials targeted him for hosting a prayer gathering in his home. In January 2021, after a neighbor complained about the planned gathering, Grand received a cease-and-desist letter from the city, which stated he would need a special-use permit for religious assemblies. Grand initially applied for the permit but later withdrew, realizing it would require converting his home into a nonresidential property.
Grand alleges that city officials, including then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan, encouraged neighbors to report activities at his home and that he faced harassment, including police surveillance and interruptions in city services. He argues that the city discriminated against him based on religion, asserting that a secular gathering would not have faced similar scrutiny.
In 2022, Grand filed a federal lawsuit, but both a federal district court and an appeals court dismissed parts of the case, stating he had not completed the city's permitting process. The city, now led by Mayor Michele Weiss, contends that Grand abandoned the local permit process and was later informed he could host the prayer gathering without a permit.
Grand's legal team, including lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom, argues that he should not have needed a permit for a small prayer gathering. They have criticized the city's current stance as a reversal that occurred only after litigation began. Grand is seeking clarification from the Supreme Court on whether local governments can impose permit requirements that infringe on religious practices. Several faith groups have filed amicus briefs in support of his petition.