ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A federal judge has allowed most of the Orlando Torah Center’s lawsuit against Orange County to proceed, rejecting the county’s request to dismiss the entire complaint.
The Orthodox Jewish congregation sued after county leaders denied its application to expand its synagogue at 8613 Banyan Blvd. in the Sand Lake Hills neighborhood.
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The Torah Center proposed replacing its roughly 1,600-square-foot house-turned-synagogue with a larger, multistory worship and event space. The plan included a roughly 9,375-square-foot addition and a request to reduce the number of required parking spaces from 52 to 35.
Congregants argued that many members walk to services because traditional Jewish practices prohibit driving on the Sabbath and certain holidays.
Neighbors raised concerns about the proposed building’s size, parking and compatibility with the surrounding residential neighborhood. The Orange County Board of County Commissioners unanimously denied the congregation’s appeal in July 2025.
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The Torah Center later sued, accusing the county of violating federal and state protections for religious exercise. The lawsuit also alleges that public hearings included comments suggesting antisemitic bias.
Orange County denied that religion influenced its decision and asked the court to dismiss the complaint, arguing in part that the 83-page, 490-paragraph filing was excessively long and failed to comply with federal pleading rules.
In a July 6 order, the judge disagreed, finding that the complaint provided enough detail to notify the county of the claims against it.
At this stage of the case, the court is required to accept well-pleaded allegations as true. The ruling does not determine that Orange County discriminated against the congregation.
The judge dismissed the Orange County Board of County Commissioners as a separate defendant without prejudice. Orange County remains a defendant in the case.
The court also struck the Torah Center’s requests for compensatory damages under its Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act and Florida Constitution claims. The congregation may continue seeking declaratory and injunctive relief under those claims.
The county’s motion was denied in all other respects, allowing the lawsuit’s central claims to move forward.
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