NY will pay $250K after trying to shut down Christian adoption agency over policy on same-sex couples

Mar 9, 2023 by Jill

by Michael Gryboski, Christian Post:

A New York government entity has agreed to pay a Christian adoption agency $250,000 in legal fees to settle a lawsuit filed after the state told the charity that refusing to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried heterosexual couples violated state law.

In addition to paying legal fees, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services will also allow New Hope Family Services to continue its religiously-influenced policies.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal nonprofit that helped represent New Hope, announced the settlement on Tuesday. New Hope is still dealing with separate litigation with the New York Division of Human Rights.

“New Hope is a private religious ministry that doesn’t take a dime from the government. Further, New Hope’s faith-guided services don’t coerce anyone and do nothing to interfere with other adoption providers who have different beliefs about family and the best interests of children,” said ADF Senior Counsel Roger Brooks.

“On behalf of the children waiting to be adopted and the prospective parents partnering with New Hope to provide loving and stable homes, we’re pleased to favorably settle this case and ensure the organization can continue its vital service to the Syracuse community.”

In 2018, OCFS concluded that New Hope was violating a 2013 state law that barred discrimination against adoption service applicants based on sexual orientation and marital status.

Read here