Aurora landlord Zev Baumgarten files second antisemitism lawsuit against city in federal court
Zev Baumgarten, the New York-based owner of Aurora's CBZ Management properties, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city on Sept. 23, 2026, alleging that Aurora code enforcement targeted his Orthodox Jewish faith when issuing violations. The complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is Baumgarten's second attempt to claim religious discrimination, following a municipal judge's dismissal of the same defense in his ongoing criminal trial.
According to the new filing, Baumgarten alleges that an Aurora code enforcement supervisor told him in 2022 that the city was enforcing violations aggressively "because you are an Orthodox Jew." He argues that the city subsequently issued a series of violations at CBZ's Colorado-based properties as a result of his religious identity.
The lawsuit centers on two properties managed by CBZ: the former Edge of Lowry apartments at 1218 Dallas Street and the Aspen Groves complex at 1568 Nome Street, also known as Fitzsimons Place. In August 2024, Aurora evicted more than 300 residents from Aspen Groves after deeming the building uninhabitable. In response, Baumgarten hired a Florida-based crisis management team that told media outlets the property had been seized by members of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela.
Mayor Mike Coffman publicly rejected those claims at the time, describing Baumgarten as an "out-of-state slumlord" from New York. Despite the city's denials, a viral video of armed men entering the Edge of Lowry apartments fueled national media coverage and led to a campaign rally by President Donald Trump near Aurora in 2024, where Trump promoted his immigration platform under the banner "Operation Aurora."
Baumgarten's criminal case stems from seven separate charges filed by the city in April 2025 over code violations at his properties. When Baumgarten failed to appear in court, his attorneys argued that threats from Tren de Aragua prevented him from returning to Colorado. A municipal judge ruled in 2025 that Baumgarten had failed to prove the city targeted him because of his religion, dismissing his discrimination defense.
The new federal complaint seeks civil damages for the alleged violations of his civil rights. Baumgarten remains in the Caribbean, according to previous court filings, and has not appeared in person for his criminal proceedings.
