NY Settles $225K Lawsuit with Christian Photographer over Same-Sex Wedding Services
The state of New York has agreed to a settlement with Christian photographer Emilee Carpenter, ending a four-year legal battle over her refusal to provide services for same-sex weddings due to her religious objections. According to The Christian Post, the state reached an agreement on Tuesday and will pay Carpenter $225,000 in attorney's fees after the lawsuit was first filed in 2021. Additionally, New York cannot enforce its antidiscrimination laws against Carpenter.
In May, U.S. District Judge Frank Geraci, an Obama appointee, issued an order in favor of Carpenter, prohibiting the state from forcing "Plaintiffs to offer to same-sex couples the same engagement- and wedding-photography services they provide to opposite-sex couples" and "prevent Plaintiffs from asking prospective clients questions sufficient to determine whether they seek photography services celebrating a same-sex wedding or engagement or from asking materially similar questions."
Additionally, the state cannot prohibit Carpenter from sharing her adopted "desired Beliefs and Practices policy" on her website, social media, or in conversations with prospective clients.
On July 7, Carpenter's attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom and Dague & Martin accepted the terms of the settlement, and on July 8, the defendants' attorneys approved it. Following Geraci's signature, the settlement's terms took effect on Tuesday.
"Free speech is for everyone, and we're pleased to settle this case so that Emilee can speak her views on marriage without being punished by New York," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement Tuesday. "As the Supreme Court reaffirmed in 303 Creative, the government can't force Americans to say things they don't believe."
"The U.S. Constitution protects Emilee's freedom to express her own beliefs as she continues to serve clients of all backgrounds and beliefs. New Yorkers can now enjoy the freedom to create and express themselves, a freedom that protects all Americans regardless of their views," he added.
This settlement aligns with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that the government cannot force Americans to express views they don't believe.
While Carpenter was never sued for declining to perform services for a same-sex wedding, other Christian business owners in the United States have been sued for refusing to take part in same-sex marriages because of their religious convictions.
In 2022, Aaron and Melissa Klein, a Christian couple whose bakery is based in Oregon, faced $135,000 in fines for their refusal to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.
Meanwhile, Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman from Washington state agreed to pay $5,000 in 2021 to end a years-long legal battle for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jamie Grill
Originally published July 24, 2025.
