When Kalman Katz was told by Sears that they wouldn’t hire him as a repair technician because he wouldn’t work on Shabbos, he turned to the New York Attorney General’s office for help. And the Attorney General made sure that Kalman got justice and that others would never be forced to choose between career and conscience.
When Donna Loketch was penalized by the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine because she refused to follow a dress code that was at odds with her religious beliefs, she turned to the New York Attorney General’s office for help. And the Attorney General made sure that Donna was able to complete her medical training and was not forced to choose between her studies and her sincerely held beliefs.
When Eliezer Katanov was fired by the Jean Louis David hair salon because he insisted on wearing his yarmulke at work, he turned to the New York Attorney General’s office for help. And the Attorney General made sure that Eliezer got his job back and that others wouldn’t be put in the position of choosing between their religious and financial obligations.
As your Attorney General, I will ensure that others aren’t put in the same position as Kalman, Donna and Eliezer. That’s why I have already announced that as Attorney General I will create the first Religious Rights Unit within the Attorney General’s office.
This unit will do more than protect the rights of individuals who are the victims of discrimination because of their religious practices and beliefs. It will send a message to all New Yorkers that religious rights are civil rights and must be treated as respectfully as other civil rights.
New York’s Democratic Attorneys General have a proud history of standing up for the religious rights of New Yorkers.
When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act – which made it harder for government to take action that hampered religious practice – was challenged, almost all Attorneys General across the country asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the law. But the New York Attorney General was one of only a few to urge the Court to keep that law in place.
That is the tradition that I want to uphold – one that values the diversity of New York and New Yorkers, and uses the force of government to ensure that all New Yorkers have the freedom to lead the lives they choose for themselves and their families.
More than 85 years ago, the Supreme Court held that an important part of that freedom is the ability to educate their children in the schools of their choice. The Court therefore struck down an Oregon law that prohibited parochial education.
Today, more than fifteen percent of New York schoolchildren are educated in non-public schools. Yet those children receive only one percent of the school aid.
Public schools are government’s primary responsibility, and that is as it should be. But government can and should do more for those children who are educated in private and parochial schools.
Nearly ten years ago the Attorney General convened a diverse, high-level task force on non-public education. Its mission was to identify programs that could be implemented to enhance the resources and improve the education provided to children in non-public schools. After much hard work, several recommendations were offered, and implemented.
In the decade since that task force was convened, there have been legal and other developments that merit consideration. As Attorney General I will reconstitute that task force and ask them for a new set of recommendations. I will demand results, not just rhetoric.
The Attorney General is vitally important to the everyday lives of millions of New Yorkers. If elected, I will work hard every day to defend the rights of each and every one of them.
(Eric Schneiderman, Candidate for New York State Attorney General)
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4 Responses
It’s better that he doesn’t make a special unit to protect religious rights, because ultimately only the muslims will take advantage of it to cover for their craziness. To take care of the yidden its enough to address any issue on a case by case basis and settle it like in the above examples. I’m convinced that we won’t get too much good from this; I’m afraid of too much muslim utilization of such measures.
Mr. Schneiderman, why don’t you write us about your central issue – same-sex marriage? Mr. Schneiderman, we understand why. You’re simply a corrupt politician from Albany running for Governor (yes, you know it) to live off the government. An expert politician will tell the people what they want to hear and do what he wants to do. We saw it now with all of your liberal cronies in Washington; passing bills (to be read thereafter) against the will of the people.
We are sick and tired of being promised. We don’t vote for those with more campaign promises, we vote for those with a resume of action. Therefore Dan Donovan will get my vote.
A couple of additional concerns about Mr. Schneiderman from the news to keep in mind on election day:
1. He sought support from Al Sharpton, and promised Sharpton that if elected, he’ll give Sharpton his own office in the Attorney General’s offices in Albany, near where Schneiderman himself would be located.
2. Schneiderman is considered the most left-wing of all the candidates for Attorney General.
What a baloney. From this campaign piece you may think Schneiderman was AG when Shabbos rights were protected,when in reality he was not. Donovan would definitely do the same.
Let’s see where he would be for religious rights when Yeshivas or Bais Yacovs receive any type of government assistance, will he force a toiva acceptance curriculum? If a child from a traditional family needs foster or adoptive parents, will he hand him over to a toiva “couple”? Will he force Heimish house owners to rent an apartment to toiva “families”.
You can be certain that immorality rights supersede religious rights for Eric Schneiderman.