Lilburn Mayor Diana Preston defended her city against accusations of intolerance Wednesday, two days after Lilburn reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in a federal discrimination case.

"The recent characterization of Lilburn as being other than a city of tolerance and acceptance is unfortunate," Preston said in a written statement. "This misrepresentation was fed by the United States Department of Justice deciding to interject itself into ongoing negotiations between the City and Dar-E-Abbas."

The DOJ has alleged that Lilburn violated federal law by twice rejecting Dar-E-Abbas' requests for rezoning to build a mosque. Under pressure from the DOJ,  Lilburn officials finally approved the request on Aug. 16.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com