A city court judge in Syracuse, New York is facing investigation and calls to resign after she refused to marry a lesbian couple.
Felicia Pitts-Davis is being investigated by the state Commission of Judicial Conduct for refusing to marry the two young women, Shawntay and Nicorra Davis (no relation), despite marrying a straight couple moments before. The women told local outlet CNY Central that the judge left the courtroom on Nov. 16 when she saw the two of them were her next wedding.
"All of a sudden she looked at us, she just swished her hair and walked away like she was disgusted or something, and I noticed it and was like, 'What’s going on?' Then another judge came in," Shawntay said.
City court judge Mary Anne Doherty, who is LGBTQ+, then officiated the couple's wedding. Pitts-Davis allegedly told Doherty that she could not marry the couple, as it went against her religious beliefs, according to Syracuse.com.
An investigation against Pitts-Davis has since been launched, as court spokesperson Al Baker told the outlet: “We are aware of the allegation and have referred the matter to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct," further explaining that "discrimination of any kind is not tolerated by the UCS. Under New York Law, Judges are authorized, but not obligated, to perform marriages. Judges who choose to perform marriages may not unlawfully discriminate when deciding which couples they will marry.”
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