Jewish homeowner goes all the way to Supreme Court after city told he couldn't have friends over to PRAY

Published: 06:47, 15 June 2026 | Updated: 06:47, 15 June 2026 An Orthodox Jewish man in Ohio is taking his legal dispute with his hometown to the Supreme Court after he was told he couldn't host a prayer gathering at his house. Daniel Grand invited a dozen of his friends by email to come to his home in University Heights in January 2021. A neighbor saw the email and informed then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan about it, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, a law firm. Grand claimed the following day he was hit with a cease-and-desist order by the city's law director. He said the city accused him of operating an illegal 'place of religious assembly' and claimed he was threatened with legal penalties. According to Fox News, Brennan told Grand that city officials informed him he would need to obtain a permit. However, after reviewing the permit requirements, his home would then be considered a nonresidential property, meaning he could no longer live there. Grand told Fox that he felt the city was trying to trick him: 'Basically, the city knew what they were doing.' Daniel Grand, an Orthodox Jewish man from Ohio, invited a dozen of his friends by email to come to his home in University Heights in January 2021 A neighbor saw the email and informed then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan about it. Grand claimed the following day he was hit with a cease-and-desist order by the city's law director 'They tricked me. I felt like they lied to me, actually. And I simply tried to comply.' 'So the next day, trying to be a good Samaritan, if you will, I went ahead, and I followed their advice that they gave me in that cease-and-desist letter, thinking I would just be able to have this permit. And it opened up into a very large-scale negative event.' He would end up withdrawing his application and also accused officials of urging his neighbors to report him to the authorities if he held gatherings. Additionally, he said that police were patrolling the area around his home frequently and that the town stopped collecting his trash for several weeks. The current mayor of University Heights, Michele Weiss, told the outlet that Grand abandoned the permit process before a final decision was made. Weiss added that he was later informed he could host the prayer gathering without the need for a permit. 'Mr. Grand presented to the City Planning Commission during the previous administration,' the city said in a statement to Fox News. 'After a public hearing and comment, the Commission tabled the matter for further proceedings. During this time, Mr. Grand withdrew his application. Soon thereafter, he then filed a lawsuit.' Grand's counsel petitioned the US Supreme Court and it is expected to decide in June whether the case will be heard. His team is seeking a ruling on whether local governments can threaten people for practicing their faith, force homeowners to seek approval for private prayer gatherings, and then avoid being held accountable by changing their position once they're sued 'Subsequently, the City sent Mr. Grand legal correspondence which stated that he was able to pray with a small group (a minyan) in his home WITHOUT going through the Planning Commission process,' the statement continued. However, Grand's legal counsel disputed the city's defense, telling the news channel that the city's stance only changed after the lawsuit was filed. 'We appreciate Mayor Weiss and the current administration's sensitivity to the Orthodox Jewish community, and we recognize that this matter arose under the prior administration,' Grand's counsel noted. 'But this case is about the harms already done and there is plenty of evidence to suggest what happened was wrong and unconstitutional.' Grand's counsel petitioned the US Supreme Court, and it is expected to decide in June whether the case will be heard. His team is seeking a ruling on whether local governments can threaten people for practicing their faith, force homeowners to seek approval for private prayer gatherings, and then avoid being held accountable by changing their position once they're sued, according to the outlet. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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