New York ACLU comes to Chick-fil-A's defense in Buffalo

After Chick-fil-A’s arrival to a New York airport was scrapped over a top executive at the company’s conservative political beliefs, a surprising and powerful advocate has come to the company’s defense.

The New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union has sided with Chick-fil-A after the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority decided the fast-food chain could not open a store at Buffalo Niagara International Airport in the fall.

New York Civil Liberties Union Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs Erika Lorshbough told The Hill on Wednesday that the First Amendment does not allow the authority to take action against the restaurant chain for its political beliefs.

“Government actors cannot officially silence speech or take punitive actions based on a person’s or private entity’s political viewpoints,” Lorshbough said in a statement.

Plans to scrap the Chick-fil-A branch came after New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan, a Democrat, pressured the authority. Ryan wrote in a Facebook post, “We can't allow companies who support anti-LGBTQ groups to do business at state owned facilities.”

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