NY Christian adoption agency files federal suit claiming harassment by state

(Worthy News) – A privately funded New York Christian adoption agency has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the New York State Division of Human Rights violated the agency’s constitutional rights by opening an unwarranted investigation triggered by a complaint about the agency’s policy on same-sex marriage, Christian Headlines (CH) reports.

Receiving no government funding, the New Hope Family Services claims it has a right to place children only with heterosexual couples.

New Hope was founded in 1958, with a mission to “offer hope and help to people with pregnancy, parenting, adoption, or post-abortion needs,” the agency explains in its lawsuit. In particular, the agency operates within its “convictions as a Christian adoption service” and “works with adoptive families built around a married husband and wife,” CH reports.

The lawsuit arises following a complaint about the agency that was filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYDHR) in August. The complainant reported that, in response to their inquiry about its adoption services, the agency had informed them that it primarily places babies and young children in homes with a married husband and wife, CH reports. The complaint was filed even though the agency offered to refer the complainant to other agencies which work with same-sex couples. The NYDHR then informed New Hope it was launching an investigation for suspected unlawful discrimination against same-sex couples.

Having already been successful in prior court cases brought against it for the same reason, New Hope filed suit represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) organization, CH reports.“As multiple federal court decisions have found, government officials have no business forcing faith-based providers to choose between contradicting their religious convictions and closing their doors,” ADF senior counsel Roger Brooks said in a statement.

“We have filed this lawsuit to put a stop to state officials’ illegal and indefensible harassment of New Hope, which only wishes to continue serving New York families as it has for more than 50 years,” Brooks said.

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