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US Supreme Court halts NY governor's rules that treat churches, synagogues worse than businesses

Thursday, Nov 26, 2020
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Wednesday night to immediately halt enforcement of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s discriminatory COVID-19 restrictions on churches and synagogues:

“Last night’s ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that ‘even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.’ The Constitution forbids government officials from treating religious Americans like second-class citizens. As the court made clear, New York Gov. Cuomo’s executive order singled out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment, barring many from attending religious services. In light of this ruling, we call on all elected officials to amend any religious discriminatory orders. The First Amendment requires the government to protect the rights of its religious communities.”
 
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
 
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ABOUT Ryan Tucker

Ryan Tucker serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Christian Ministries with Alliance Defending Freedom. He oversees all litigation efforts to maintain and defend the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian ministries and religious schools to exercise their rights under the First Amendment. Prior to joining ADF, Tucker engaged in private practice for over 16 years with a litigation boutique law firm in San Antonio, Texas, eight of those as a partner. His portfolio included all aspects of civil litigation, both state and federal, with a particular focus on commercial and complex business disputes. Tucker earned his Juris Doctor at Baylor Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Baylor Law Review. He obtained his bachelor of business administration in management at Texas A&M University, where he graduated cum laude. A member of the state bar in Texas and Arizona, Tucker is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple federal district and appellate courts.