Friends of Griffin House won a lawsuit Monday that will force the Foothill-De Anza Community College District to perform a new environmental impact report before tearing the landmark house down.

Superior Court Judge Leslie Nichols ruled that district officials gave inadequate evidence to support their decision to demolish Griffin House, a historic brown-shingled house built in 1903.

Friends sued Aug. 30, blocking the demolition until a judge could rule on their contention that the district had not examined feasible alternatives to tearing down the house and violated state environmental law protecting historic landmarks. Economically, the decision didn’t make sense, Friends asserted.

The district responded last month and suggested alternatives, but Nichols ruled Monday that “the district failed to explore alternatives that feasibly obtain most of the basic objectives of the project while protecting the environment.”

The judge required the district to conduct more extensive study on alternatives to demolition. The study may take up to six months.

District Chancellor Martha Kanter could not be reached for comment.