After the city of Philadelphia learned in March 2018 that two of its foster care providers would not license same-sex couples to be foster parents, the city ceased referring children to these agencies. Catholic Social Services (“CSS”) and four of its foster parents, represented by counsel from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, sued the City of Philadelphia asking the court to order the city to renew the agency’s contract. CSS argued that its right to free exercise of religion and free speech entitled it to reject qualified same-sex couples because they were same-sex couples, rather than for any reason related to their qualifications to care for children.
On June 8, 2018, the ACLU and the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of the Support Center for Child Advocates, a nonprofit that represents and advocates for children in the foster care system, and Philadelphia Family Pride, a nonprofit membership organization of LGBQ&T people and their families, whose members include same-sex foster parents and prospective foster parents. The motion to intervene argued that Child Advocates and PFP and the people they serve would be harmed by a ruling in favor of CSS, and asked the court to allow them to participate in the litigation as defendants in order to protect their interests. The district court granted that motion to intervene on August 14, 2018.
On July 13, 2018, a federal district court denied CSS's motion for a preliminary injunction and rejected the argument that child welfare agencies have a right to discriminate.
On July 16, 2018, CSS asked the Third Circuit to enter an emergency injunction granting the relief denied by the district court. The Third Circuit denied that motion on July 27, 2018. On July 31, 2018, CSS asked the Supreme Court of the United States to issue an emergency injunction granting the relief denied by both the district court and court of appeals. On August 30, 2018, the Supreme Court denied their motion.
On April 22, 2019, the Third Circuit upheld the district court's ruling denying CSS's motion for a preliminary injunction.
On February 24, 2020, the United States Supreme Court granted cert in the case and heard arguments on November 4, 2020. A decision is expected by the end of June.
Press Release
- ACLU Asks Court to Hear From Child Advocates and LGBQ&T Families in Foster Parents Case – 6/8/2018
- Federal Court in Pennsylvania Rejects Argument That Child Welfare Agencies Have a Right to Discriminate - 7/13/18
- Appeals Court Denies License to Discriminate in Child Welfare - 4/22/19
