WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has filed a federal complaint against a small New Jersey community for blocking an Orthodox Jewish congregation from building a new temple.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Wednesday that he’s slapping Woodcliff Lake and the Woodcliff Lake Zoning Board of Adjustment with a federal lawsuit under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which protects religious groups from discriminatory land use regulations.

New Jersey’s Valley Chabad had already filed suit against Woodcliff Lake in 2016 for denying its application to build a new house of worship.

Sessions made the announcement in kicking off his new “Place to Worship Initiative,” designed to increase federal intervention in protecting the right of houses of worship to build, expand, buy and rent facilities.

In the 2016 lawsuit, Valley Chabad argued its civil rights were violated through unreasonable and burdensome land use regulations.

Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo declined comment, citing the pending litigation.

Valley Chabad alleged Rendo used local laws to block their new temple and stated publicly that the group was “trying to turn the borough into a little Jerusalem.”

Rendo denied making the comment, according to Politico.

As part of the new initiative, the Justice Department launched a website Wednesday to report religious discrimination violations and to increase public awareness of the rights of religious groups.

The Justice Department will kick off a round of community outreach events starting June 25 in Newark.

Sessions said the new priority on religious freedom cases means the feds will “bring more civil rights cases, win more cases, and prevent discrimination from happening in the first place.”

Ron Dario, a lawyer for Woodcliff Lake, issued a statement Thursday saying:

“The Borough of Woodcliff Lake has in the past and will continue to welcome people of all faiths, including Valley Chabad. The issue before us is not one of religious discrimination, but is strictly a matter of building size, in that Valley Chabad continues to demand the construction of a 17,000 sq. foot facility with seating for 400 plus congregants, on a single family home plot. The Borough’s Zoning Ordinance requires a three-acre minimum for such a facility. The proposed Chabad location is for a property of less than half the required size. The fact that the zoning application required two dozen variances shows how ill-suited the property is for their proposed use.

There is no evidence to support the claim that Borough officials did anything to interfere in the attempts by Valley Chabad to purchase other properties. In fact, the Borough has attempted to assist Valley Chabad by identifying other larger plots that can easily accommodate their needs. For reasons unknown to the Borough, Valley Chabad has walked away from other projects and failed to entertain the idea of building on approved locations within the Borough, which were in conformity with the Borough’s land use regulations.

We have in the past and will continue to cooperate with any investigation into the Borough’s policies and procedures. We maintain that our Borough is non discriminatory and welcoming for people of all faiths.

We are confident that both Valley Chabad, as well as the Justice Department, will conclude that the evidence supports non-discriminatory actions of the Borough and the Zoning Board.

Lastly, we are saddened by the response of the Valley Chabad in their choice to take this action against our quiet New Jersey town, comprised of hard-working people of all faiths, that welcomed them into our community. We merely requested that they conform to the rules and regulations as required within our Borough borders.”