New Saint Andrews College, a private Christian college in Moscow, Idaho, has filed for a federal lawsuit against the City of Moscow, alleging that the city officials have discriminated against the institution simply because of its religious identity.
The lawsuit was reportedly filed September 2, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. The college is therefore seeking relief over what it has described as years of unequal treatment involving zoning and also land-use regulations.
While still at the center of the dispute the colleges had made effort to use additional space in downtown Moscow for administrative operations. According to reports about the lawsuit, New Saint Andrews has also claimed that the city officials initially indicated that the proposed use could proceed but later rejected the college’s proposal applications.
The college also went on pointing to a 2019 Moscow ordinance that prohibited new college and university operations in the city’s central business district while allowing existing operations to continue. New Saint Andrews made it known that the restrictions have affected its ability, limiting them from expanding and to operate in ways that comparable institutions have not experienced.
New Saint Andrews further stated that the city has treated the college very differently from the University of Idaho, which has operational offices in the central business district. The lawsuit clarified, even parking and other requirements have been applied more strictly to the Christian college, compare to others.
The legal complaint alleges violations of the First Amendment, the Idaho Constitution, the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and Idaho’s Free Exercise of Religion Protected Act. These are allegations made by the college, but although they have not been established as findings by the court.
The lawsuit also quoted public comments involving Moscow officials and the broader controversy, currently surrounding New Saint Andrews and Christ Church, the Moscow congregation founded by pastor Doug Wilson. The college further explained that those circumstances provide an evidence that its religious character has influenced the city’s treatment of the institution.
The City of Moscow after receiving the suit has as well acknowledged the federal complaint and said it is reviewing the allegations. This comes following the September 15 statement, city officials said they had learned about the lawsuit through a media request and had obtained a copy of the complaint from the federal court’s online system. The city said although it had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit at the time of its statement.
The case is now before the federal court, where the allegations and the city’s eventual response will be considered. The federal docket identifies the case as New Saint Andrews College v. City of Moscow, Idaho, Case No. 3:2026cv00570.
The dispute could have broader implications for how religious educational institutions are treated under the local zoning and land-use regulations, but the courts are still not yet to be ruled on the college’s claims. For now, the lawsuit represents New Saint Andrews College’s formal challenge to what it describes as unequal treatment by the city officials.
