Syracuse District Bans Bible-Believers From Using Space
On September 13, 2023, the Board of Education of the Syracuse City School District voted unanimously to implement a new building use policy. According to Syracuse.com, the new policy will require users of school district buildings to “adhere to the district’s code of conduct.” The code of conduct reportedly “includes a non-discrimination notice that calls…
Case Closed On Concealed Carry For Church Security Teams
New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is pleased and thankful to report that our lawsuit challenging the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), a gun control law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, has been withdrawn. Our attorney, David C. Sieling, Esq., withdrew the lawsuit because the changes made to the CCIA during this year’s state…
Democrats Position 2024 Amendment To Promote Party’s Interest
Unfortunately, the so-called Equality Amendment to the New York State Constitution is scheduled to appear on the general election ballot in 2024. If passed, the Equality Amendment (Bill S.108-A-Krueger/A.1283-Seawright) would create a constitutional ban on discrimination based on “ethnicity, national origin, age, [and] disability,” as well as “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,…
Supreme Court Delivers For Christian Postal Worker
On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Groff v. DeJoy, 600 U.S. __________ (2023). The Court’s decision in Groff buttressed employees’ rights to reasonable workplace accommodations for their religious beliefs and practices. The plaintiff, Gerald Groff, is a Christian who worked as a mailman. As a Christian,…
NYCF Offers Reaction To 303 Creative Decision
ALBANY, NY— In a 6-3 decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the latest in a growing list of cases where laws barring discrimination based upon sexual orientation conflict with Christians’ constitutional rights. Lorie Smith is a graphic artist who resides in Colorado. Smith wishes to design wedding…
Christian Schools Shouldn’t Have To Choose Between Compromise or Closure
The state of New York has bent over backwards to accommodate the “transgender” movement in recent years. In 2010, the state enacted the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), an anti-bullying law that has been interpreted to allow “transgender” public students to use opposite-sex bathrooms and locker rooms. In 2019, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act…
Hochul’s DOH Dials Down Vaccine Mandate For Health Care Workers
On May 24, 2023, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced its intent to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers. This regulatory change will involve a 60-day public comment period; during that period, the state has indicated that it will refrain from commencing any new actions to enforce the mandate.…
Houghton U Still Stands For Christian View Of Human Sexuality
She/her. He/him. They/them. Over the past several years, it has become common in certain circles for employees to list their preferred pronouns in their e-mail signatures. A person’s purpose for stating these pronouns is to indicate what gender identity he or she has adopted. Houghton University, a small Christian university in south-central New York, has…
What Might Move In The Last Days Of The Legislative Session?
The 2023 New York state legislative session is scheduled to close on June 8, 2023. At New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF), we are eager for this day to come; the longer the legislature remains in session, the more opportunities it has to do damage to life, family, and religious liberty here in the Empire…
Five Items That Should Be Included In New York’s Budget
In the coming days, the New York State Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul will finalize and pass the 2023-2024 New York State Budget. New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF) calls upon the Legislature and the Governor to include the following five items in the final budget: 1. An Adoption Tax Deduction for Parents Who Adopt…
New Hope Family Services Wins State Settlement
Good news: New Hope Family Services, the Christian adoption agency that the state of New York tried to shut down because it declines to place children with anyone other than opposite-sex married parents, is slated to receive a financial settlement from the state. In December 2018, through its attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, New Hope…
New Polling Offers Support For School Choice
A recent poll of New York residents by EdChoice shows solid support for school choice here in the Empire State. The poll revealed the following data: It is telling that parents of school-aged children are more supportive of school choice than the general population. Parents whose children are attending school have a greater stake in…
NYC Mayor Says Faith Influences His Public Service
Stop the presses: The mayor of New York City has come out in support of faith in public life. At a February 28 interfaith breakfast, Mayor Eric Adams asserted that “‘when we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools.’” The Mayor added, “‘When I walk, I walk with God. When I talk, I…
‘After School Satan’ Clubs Arrive In New York
Parents, would you be alarmed if you received a flyer inviting your children to a Satanic after-school club? As PressConnects.com recently reported, some parents in the Maine-Endwell Central School District (MECSD) in Broome County, New York expressed understandable concern after receiving exactly such a flyer. According to the story, an After School Satan Club is…
Hochul Bends On Armed Security Ban In Houses Of Worship
ALBANY, NY—On February 1, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul released a budget proposal that made changes to the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA) that would affect New York’s houses of worship. Specifically, the proposal would recognize that unpaid security personnel at houses of worship are allowed to carry firearms. The CCIA attempted to limit the right…
Yeshiva University Appeals LGBT Decision
Yeshiva University’s court battle over whether it must provide official recognition and funding to an LGBT pride group continues. Following its refusal to recognize an LGBT pride group on campus, Yeshiva University was sued for discrimination in 2021. In the lawsuit, the students contended that the University had violated a New York City ordinance that…