“U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York Judge Mae A. D’Agostino was appointed to the federal bench in 2011 by President Barack Obama. But that biographical detail did not prevent D’Agostino from delivering a decision protecting countless orphaned children. In the case of New Hope Family Services, Inc. (NHFS) v. Sheila Poole, the Acting Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services of New York, D’Agostino held that state officials cannot force NHFS to agree to adoptions of children in its care to couples who are either of the same sex or are unmarried. Roger Brooks, the Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who represents NHFS, explained the significance of D’Agostino’s decision: ‘The court’s decision is great news for children waiting to be adopted and for the parents partnering with New Hope Family Services to provide loving, stable homes. New Hope is a private religious ministry that doesn’t take a dime from the government. Shutting down an adoption provider for its religious beliefs–needlessly and unconstitutionally reducing the number of agencies willing to help–benefits no one, certainly not children.’”
“Another Federal Judge Strikes a Blow,” PJMedia, Sep. 7, 2022
