Will same-sex parents looking to foster meet victory in front of the Supreme Court, or will they see the win go to Religious Freedom?
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the case of a Catholic foster care agency that won’t allow children to go to the homes of same-sex parents has been accepted for a hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court decided Monday that it would hear arguments for Fulton v. The City of Philadelphia this coming fall.
The key issue is whether or not Philadelphia violated Catholic Social Services’ religious freedom rights when it canceled a contract with the agency. The city did so after the agency refused same-sex couples. For the city, the decision was made because of a nondiscrimination ordinance covering city contractors. And then, Philadelphia won the case twice in two lower courts. But, the case has continued to be repealed and now the Supreme Court has decided to step in. As for the opposing side, “Fulton” comes from Sharonell Fulton who’s a longtime foster working with Catholic Social Services.
The case is Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Read more about it here.
— Lambda Legal (@LambdaLegal) February 24, 2020
“The City of Philadelphia is proud of our longstanding commitment to supporting freedom of religion and preserving equal access to services for all people,” City Solicitor Marcel S. Pratt said in a statement Monday. “Unfortunately, CSS refused to consider qualified same-sex couples to become foster parents — even when these couples would be a safe, loving family for the child — and in doing so, CSS defied the City’s nondiscrimination policy.”
Ultimately, city officials hope to serve children within its borders and protection, “And the best way to do that is by upholding our sincere commitment to the dignity of all people, including our LGBTQ community.”
Again, the court will hear arguments sometime this fall. The specific date for which has yet to be decided.
Sources: Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN
