News Release from ADF April 19, 2013

Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Joseph La Rue speaks out regarding Hawaii Senate Bill 535 SD1 HD2, a proposed law that would make it illegal for any Hawaii family to fire or otherwise change the employment status of many incompatible nannies, babysitters, caretakers, and other domestic workers:

“Non-discrimination doesn’t mean anything goes. Being responsible enough to employ someone you trust to watch your baby or bathe your grandmother is not engaging in unlawful discrimination, and the Hawaii Legislature should know better. Under this bill, gone are the days when any Hawaii family can feel safe with nannies, caretakers, babysitters, and others who would work close to them and their loved ones in the home. To our knowledge, no other state in America has such absurd regulations, and Hawaii should not become the first.”

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom allied attorney James Hochberg:

“Shame on any Hawaii legislator who would support a bill that says elderly grandmothers must accept caretakers they are not comfortable with if they learn the caretakers aren’t what they presented themselves to be. Shame on any legislator who would be comfortable with saying parents must accept nannies and babysitters who turn out not to share their beliefs or convictions. The narrow exceptions included in the bill are not in the civil rights commission’s statute, so the commission is not legally bound to respect them. This bill is nothing short of thoughtless political extremism.”

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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