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New Jersey Division on Civil Rights

Police & Fire
'Reprehensible': Crimefighters Unite To Pursue Rutgers' Islamic Center Attackers (UPDATE) 'Reprehensible': Crimefighters Unite To Pursue Rutgers' Islamic Center Attackers (UPDATE)
'Reprehensible': Crimefighters Unite To Pursue Rutgers' Islamic Center Attackers (Update) The overnight trashing Wednesday of the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick -- which coincides with the end of the holy month of Ramadan -- is being treated as a bias crime, authorities said. Someone forced their way in sometimes before 4:30 a.m. April 10, broke glass and destroyed artwork and various other possessions, Rutgers Police Chief Kenneth Cop said. The attack came on Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday commemorating the end of sunrise-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. "Today we witnessed art pieces with Quranic verses, shattered window…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients A handyman from Paterson was ordered to immediately stop refusing to serve Jews and take several remedial steps or face serious charges, state authorities in Trenton said on Thursday. Melquisedec Francis must satisfy eight specific demands to keep from being prosecuted, including announcing that he no longer discriminates against Jewish customers, attending training on anti-Semitism and paying a fine, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Nov. 30. In advertisements on TaskRabbit and elsewhere last month, Francis wrote: "I am expressing my solidarity with the Palestinian Peopl…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers
State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers State authorities filed a complaint Tuesday accusing the city of Millville of violating the law by discriminating against Spanish-speaking defendants. The municipal court in Millville required those who “were or were perceived to be Spanish-speaking” prevented them from participating in court proceedings virtually between June and December 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Aug. 8. Instead, they were required to attend court proceedings in person, the attorney general said. The situation was brought to light by Municipal Court Judge Jason Witcher, who accused the …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Jackson Township Officials 'Weaponized' Zoning Laws To Suppress Orthodox Jews, State Charges Jackson Township Officials 'Weaponized' Zoning Laws To Suppress Orthodox Jews, State Charges
Jackson Township Officials 'Weaponized' Zoning Laws To Suppress Orthodox Jews, State Charges Jackson Township officials “weaponized” zoning laws against Orthodox Jews, making it difficult for them to practice their religion while discouraging others from moving in, state authorities charged Tuesday. Mayor Michael Reina and members of the township council, planning board and zoning board of adjustment devised the anti-Semitic scheme to stop what a former official called “the tsunami of orthodoxy that is mounting at the border," alleges a lawsuit filed by the state. The group was trying to appease a number of intolerant residents who complained to them at public meetings and in hatef…

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by Jerry DeMarco & Cecilia Levine