Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement in response to guidance issued today by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions directing federal agency to give maximum accommodation to religious freedom claims, including claims that could affect hiring decisions:
“Our laws protect the free exercise of religion, while also ensuring that all Americans are equally protected under law. Today, the Justice Department misguidedly has placed its thumb on the scale and prioritized the first of these fundamental rights over the second. The DOJ has even embraced the novel theory that large for-profit corporations and other institutional employers have religious constitutional rights. My office stands firmly against all efforts to discriminate, and we have and will continue to vigorously protect all of the civil rights of New Yorkers.”
Thank you.