Judge Blocks New York From Enforcing Restrictions on Religious Gatherings
Jul 3, 2020
A federal judge on Friday ordered New York's places of worship to be treated the same as businesses when it comes to coronavirus restrictions in a ruling that criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for encouraging protests while simultaneously limiting outdoor religious gatherings.
U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state from enforcing a cap that limited religious organizations to 25 percent of their capacity in Phase 2 of the New York’s reopening process. Instead, religious facilities will now be subject to the same 50 percent indoor capacity limit that restaurants and businesses currently face.
Sharpe's injunction came at the request of two Upstate Catholic priests and three Orthodox Jewish congregants from Brooklyn, who argued the state was applying an illegal double standard to religious institutions that violated their First Amendment rights.
"Indeed, in the absence of an injunction, plaintiffs’ religious activities will be burdened and continue to be treated less favorably than comparable secular activities. An injunction, on the other hand, does not undercut defendants’ interest in controlling the spread of COVID-19, provided that plaintiffs abide by social distancing guidance," Sharpe stated.
