North Hempstead racks up $257G more in legal fees for defense in mosque case

North Hempstead Town has spent more than $257,000 as part of its defense to a federal lawsuit prompted by the denial of a New Hyde Park mosque's expansion, records show.

The town denied Hillside Islamic Center's bid to expand in 2024. But two years and two lawsuits later, the town settled with the mosque in April, ending a contentious period between the sides.

Newsday obtained the legal expense figure through a request under the state's Freedom of Information Law.

Moritt Hock & Hamroff, a Garden City based law firm, charged $950 per hour for the work, according to town spokesman Umberto Mignardi. 

The fees bring the total taxpayer expense for the pair of lawsuits to more than $874,000, records show. North Hempstead paid Hillside $150,000 in damages along with $400,000 to the mosque's Manhattan-based law firm, Linklaters LLP, as part of the settlement. The town also spent about $67,000 in legal fees as part of a separate state case.

Representatives for Moritt Hock & Hamroff not did not respond to a request for comment.

The federal lawsuit argued the town had violated the Religious Land Use And Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. The measure requires municipalities to provide equal treatment to secular and religious facilities under zoning and land use laws.

Abdul Bhuiyan, chairman of the mosque's board of trustees, said in an interview Thursday the town's opposition was driven by a "handful of people that are inherently prejudiced. It had no merits, except that they couldn't accept other people living in their midst."

"We wish, as residents of the town, that the elected officials are careful about spending the public's money," Bhuiyan said.

Asked about the legal expense, Mignardi said "we were able to reach a settlement that incorporated meaningful improvements and allowed the project to move forward."

Taxpayer angst

North Hempstead rejected the site plan in 2024 after some residents' complaints about potential traffic and parking problems. Hillside sued in state court and a judge sided with the mosque in a January 2025 ruling. The town appealed.

The town also paid Sahn Ward Braff Coschignano, a Uniondale law firm, $15,689.80 in 2025 and $51,131.75 in 2024 for its work in the state case, according to town records. The town withdrew its appeal in the state case when it settled the federal case, court records show.

Mignardi said the town hired Morrit Hock & Hamroff in the federal case because of its expertise in defending civil rights violations. He referenced its work defending the Town of Oyster Bay in a lawsuit brought by Masjid Al-Baqi, a Bethpage mosque that also sought to expand. The town had denied the mosque's application but the parties ultimately settled in October. Oyster Bay spent $1.9 million on outside lawyers following a lawsuit filed by the Bethpage mosque Masjid Al-Baqi. An arbitrator ordered the town to pay more than $5 million in attorneys' fees billed to the mosque's owner, Muslims on Long Island.

"The Town’s action was motivated by concerns about the issues raised by its residents, including traffic and safety," Mignardi said. 

Spending criticized

In a statement, Democratic councilman Robert Troiano criticized Supervisor Jennifer DeSena for the legal spending: "The legal outcome was never in doubt. Both Republican and Democratic appointed town attorneys advised her that voting against the site plan was a losing bet. She chose to gamble anyway and lost nearly $1 million of taxpayers’ money."

Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in an interview North Hempstead "taxpayers deserve better"

"These laws are meant to protect and to penalize when egregious actions that are discriminatory occur," Nasher said. "This should be avoided by providing equal and constitutional treatment to every worshipping community."

In April, the town agreed to grant conditional approval to the mosque's site plan, pending the adjustment of a curb cut on North Second Street that "discourages" left turn exits.

Newsday in April examined how municipalities across Long Island, and the country, utilize town codes to block mosques from expanding.

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.