OKEMOS, Mich. — A church filed a lawsuit alleging city officials violated its religious freedom by not letting it build a boys academy.

According to the Lansing State Journal, the Okemos Christian Center wanted to add 35,000-square-feet to its 11,000-square-foot building to house an academy for up to 125 students. The church now runs a boys academy in rented space for 12 sixth through 12th grade students.

The church claims the Meridian Township zoning board violated the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) by denying the church's request. RLUIPA exempts religious groups from most local zoning rules unless a community can show the restrictions are necessary to protect public safety.

In October, the board denied the church's request because it said the proposed building was too big for the center's 5.7 acres. The board did say the church could build a 14,000-square-foot addition. Zoning law requires the township to approve buildings of 25,000 square feet or more.

"They are discriminating against us big-time," said the Rev. Craig Dumont. "If it's a public school, according to their ordinance, they could build here by right and (the township) couldn't do anything about it. They are doing this because we are a church."

Township Manager Jerry Richards told the newspaper the church was given the right to build a school.

"We gave them their full rights under the law," Richards said. "They can build a school there. They need no other approval. The use was approved."

The church and the township have been at odds over the expansion for two years, the newspaper reported. The church is seeking monetary damages in addition to lifting the expansion limitation. Dumont said monetary damages include legal fees and loss of tuition. The amount was unspecified.