Soka University Notified It Is Operating Illegally

Soka University in Calabasas has been notified by Los Angeles County zoning inspectors that it is illegally operating a non-religious school under permits allowing religious training only.

County planning and zoning officials said Tuesday that the university can continue to hold classes only if it can prove they are part of a religious training program, as allowed under a special permit granted to previous owners of the land. The county reviewed uses of the campus after receiving an invitation to the opening of a new facility on the campus, county officials said.

Soka University, an offshoot of Soka University in Japan, is an English-language school for about 100 students. University administrators have announced plans to expand into a 5,000-student liberal arts college.