Judge rules for religious adoption agency limiting services
A federal judge ruled that New York state could not require a Christian family services agency to provide adoption services to unmarried or same-sex couples.
New Hope Family Services in Syracuse professes that it cannot provide adoption services to same-sex or unmarried couples because of religious beliefs. It filed a federal lawsuit against the state Office of Children and Family Services in 2018 after the agency told it to revise its “discriminatory and impermissible” policy or shut down its adoption program, according to court filings.
U.S. District Court Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany cited free speech protections Tuesday in granting New Hope a summary judgment and ruling the state agency couldn’t compel New Hope to provide adoption services to unmarried or same-sex couples.