The town of New Hartford, New York, acting on behalf of its “extremely fearful” residents, has filed a lawsuit against the Word of Life Christian Church seeking to have it enjoined as a public nuisance. In November, eight people were indicted in the October beating death of one of the church’s members.

The town’s complaint against the church was filed last week, seeking an injunction against the church preventing it from “conducting any activities” at the three-story converted schoolhouse.

“Various members of the church including members and/or officers of the Word of Life Christian Church acting with the knowledge, direction and authority of the Word of Life Christian Church did cause the death of a member of said church to wit: Lucas Leonard, and serious physical injury to another member of the church, to wit: Christopher Leonard,” the filing states.

This constitutes a public nuisance, as defined by the Town Code, “in that criminal activity involving assault and/or gang assault and/or harassment and/or disorderly conduct occurred at the defendant’s premises, and as a result of the acts performed therein the quiet and reasonable use and enjoyment of adjacent or neighboring properties was detrimentally affected.”

The church’s founder, Jerry Irwin, died in 2012, the New York Times reported. His daughter, Tiffanie Irwin, is now the pastor. The church’s congregation, however, has dwindled, and prosecutors say Irwin accused the Leonard boys of witchcraft out of fear that they would apostatize.

From the Times:

The third floor, where Mr. Irwin’s family took up residence in the late 1990s, became “pretty much a mansion,” Mr. Ames recalled. One room held a trampoline, and another a small basketball court. The bathroom had a whirlpool bath. It was so big the Irwins bicycled through the hallways.

The rest of the building had the institutional feel of the old schoolhouse, with colorless walls, cubby holes and water fountains. Its sanctuary was an old gymnasium that fit 200 people but rarely sat more than 30, with a three-step stage and a plain podium.

But upstairs there were also animals, dozens of them scattered through old classrooms. The Irwins bred birds, accumulating at least six doves, two huge golden macaws and several parakeets, Mr. Ames said. In the next room were the rabbits, and later on the Irwins began breeding Parti Yorkshire terriers, too, calling their operation Kajun Kennels.

It fell to young girls in the church to clean rabbit excrement from the cages. Older members were given the task of building and maintaining the living quarters.

Tiffanie Irwin plead not guilty to second-degree murder last month; the Leonard boys’ father, Bruce Leonard, also plead not guilty. Leonard, Irwin, and the other five indicted in the beating have until early next year to accept or reject plea deals offered to them.

The boys’ mother, Deborah Leonard, was not included in the same indictment and plead guilty to manslaughter.

Photo via AP Images. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.