Village of Mamaroneck Former trustees write about the $4.75 million RLUIPA settlement

Previous village board was fully informed on lawsuit

By Philip Trifiletti • February 15, 2008

We, the undersigned former Village of Mamaroneck officials, collectively write to correct several misstatements and factual inaccuracies that have recently been made and printed in various newspapers and journals relative to the Westchester Day School case. During a majority of the time that the Westchester Day School case was being litigated, we collectively served as elected and appointed officials of the Village of Mamaroneck. (The village recently agreed to pay $4.75 million in damages to the school to settle a lawsuit brought under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 - Editor.)RLUIPA

Some members of the current Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees have made serious disparaging statements, specifically, that the village's attorneys did not advise the members of the Board of Trustees and zoning board of the potential impact of losing the Westchester Day School case, and that a few residents influenced the village (members of the zoning board) to the detriment of the village at large.

The current members of the Board of Trustees who made these statements are incorrect, mistaken and/or misinformed. It is clear that these statements were made purely for political purposes and to justify a settlement of $4.75 million......