Central New York News

Court: Adoption Agency Can't Reject Same-Sex Couples

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas
Published May 16, 2019 at 3:52 PM EDT
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A federal court says New York officials weren't infringing on a Christian adoption agency's religious freedom by requiring it to serve same-sex couples.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Albany in December sought to stop the state Office of Children and Family Services from shutting down New Hope Family Services in Syracuse because of its "discriminatory" policy regarding child placements.

In dismissing the lawsuit Thursday, the court said it found no anti-religious bias in the state's nondiscrimination policies.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal organization representing New Hope, said an appeal is likely. It said New Hope has had no formal complaints from prospective parents.

The state agency had no immediate comment.

©2019 AP

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Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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