North Hempstead agrees to pay $550G to settle mosque lawsuit

North Hempstead will pay $550,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought by the Hillside Islamic Center over the town's initial decision to reject the mosque's expansion. 

North Hempstead will pay Linklaters, the Manhattan-based law firm that represented the New Hyde Park mosque, $400,000 in legal fees, federal court filings show. It will also pay the mosque $150,000 in damages, according to a signed consent decree.

The 5,428-square-foot mosque sought to more than double its footprint but was rejected by the town board in 2024. Hillside Islamic Center then filed state and federal lawsuits, before the sides reached a settlement in April. 

North Hempstead Town officials did not respond to requests for comment. Town Attorney Richard Nicolello said the payment would be made by June 15.

“The settlement marks the beginning of a new chapter," Linklaters attorney Muhammad Faridi said in a statement. "For years, our clients sought nothing more than the opportunity to build an adequate house of worship where families could pray, gather, teach their children, and serve their neighbors. We are grateful that this agreement now allows that vision to move forward." 

"The Parties expressly understand and agree that this Consent Order is a good faith compromise and settlement of disputed claims," U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack wrote in the consent decree. "Neither Party is hereby admitting any wrongdoing or liability."

Legal tab grows

In the federal lawsuit, the mosque argued that the town, by denying the expansion, had violated the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The state case argued the mosque's plan complied with criteria in the town's code.

In 2023, the town's planning board recommended approving the mosque's proposed site plan, which included the addition of a third story and 6,600 square feet. But in January 2024, the North Hempstead Town Board denied the application. During a series of public hearings, some residents complained about congregants blocking driveways with their cars and generating noise late into the night.

Hillside Islamic Center then sued in state court. In January 2025, a judge ruled in favor of the mosque and ordered the town to approve the site plan. The town appealed.

“Municipalities are not, and should not be, powerless to prevent expansion of religious uses into residential neighborhoods,” Michael Sahn, North Hempstead’s Uniondale-based attorney, wrote in the appeal.

The town has also racked up legal bills funding its own defense, having paid more than $66,000 in 2024 and 2025 in fees related to the state case. The tab is expected to rise with bills from the federal lawsuit. 

The town paid Sahn Ward Braff Coschignano, a Uniondale law firm, $15,689.80 in legal fees in 2025, and $51,131.75 in 2024, according to records obtained through the state's Freedom of Information Law. North Hempstead withdrew its appeal in the state case, court records show.

Swift approvals urged

In March, the mosque sued North Hempstead in federal court. In April, the town board retroactively approved the hiring of Moritt Hock & Hamroff, a Garden City law firm. The town has not disclosed the firm's rate. Nicolello, the town attorney, said in an email that Moritt Hock & Hamroff has not yet billed the town for its legal work. 

As part of the settlement, North Hempstead agreed to approve a new site plan with a revised curb cut on North Second Street, according to the consent decree.

The town should not require the mosque to obtain additional approvals, Azrack wrote. North Hempstead is expected to begin the necessary processes to issue all "permits, licenses, and/or other Town approvals that are legally required to construct, operate, and occupy" the mosque.

The town must also "expedite resolution" of any problems related to the mosque until construction wraps up and a certificate of completion is granted. Municipalities issue certificates of completion to indicate a building is up to code.

The agreement comes months after the Town of Oyster Bay settled with Masjid Al-Baqi, a Bethpage mosque, in a similar case. Masjid Al-Baqi sued Oyster Bay in early 2025 after the town denied its bid to expand. 

After the settlement was approved, an arbitrator required Oyster Bay to pay more than $5 million in legal fees to settle the federal lawsuit, Newsday reported in December. The town's insurance carrier was to cover about half the expense, or $2.5 million, and Oyster Bay was responsible for $2.53 million, Newsday reported. Linklaters represented Masjid Al-Baqi in their challenge. The town's outside lawyers billed nearly $2 million for Oyster Bay's defense, Newsday has reported.

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.