Excerpt:
A judge has ruled that construction of a new mosque in Rutherford County does not harm the residents who sued the county to stop it.
The judge did allow plaintiffs to pursue claims the county violated an open meetings law in approving the site plan for the mosque.
Plaintiffs' attorney Joe Brandon Jr. had argued that the mosque violated his clients' constitutional rights, claiming that the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's members were compelled by their religion to subdue non-Muslims.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, Chancellor Robert Corlew dismissed most of the complaints raised by the 17 plaintiffs, except for claims that the county violated the state Open Meetings Act by not providing proper notice for the meeting at which the mosque site plan was approved.