New York – 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.
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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
Sen. Schneiderman’s making support for non-public school families a major part of his campaign is unprecedented for a liberal Democrat, at least since an attempt to repeal the Blaine Amendment failed in 1967. Democratic support is needed if we are ever to get any significant governmental support for religious schools.
Sen. Schneiderman also went against his party’s leadership and voted against the relaxed bidding rules for the Aquaduct Raceway Casino — relaxed bidding rules that may end up bringing down that leadership (although not this election — the Republican gerrymander gave Smith and Sampson utterly safe seats). Note that Schneiderman’s name does not even appear in the recent Inspector General’s report on that corruption.
Donovan is a good candidate but Schneiderman is better.
Who cares that sharpton gets an office as long as sniderman who stops the discrimination against chasidc schools?
The right is so busy with blanket statements that they won’t issue any issues statement at all
As much as I dislike obamas policies I need to vote for sniderman
charlie you remind mind of the tuna totally out of touch with society he is a danger simply because of his ultra liberal ideals that include giving favored attention to that great lover of jews al sharpton and friends we dont need another liberal we need sanity after all we already have cuomo and silver picking our pockets
Nice piece of self promotion Eric. Sorry but the Al Sharpon office issue is just too much to overlook…a liberal giving credibilty to a radical racist.
Charlie Hall your a radical liberal who’s out of touch I don’t think your a tuna, your from the west side. Classic liberal jew you thinks they can control and tax everyone. People are sick of people with your utopia out of realistic ideas.