US Supreme Court says govt can't discriminate against faith-based adoption agencies

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom General Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that the city can’t discriminate against a faith-based adoption agency, a result that ADF attorneys argued for in a friend-of-the-court brief they filed on behalf of faith-based adoption and foster-care providers in New York and Michigan:

“Every child in need of a forever home deserves the chance to be adopted or cared for by a foster family. That’s what it means to keep kids first. The Supreme Court’s decision today allows that to continue happening. The government can’t single out people of certain beliefs to punish, sideline, or discriminate against them. We’re grateful for the good decision today consistent with that principle. And so now is the perfect time for the high court to address a religious freedom question that has been pending for years in Arlene’s Flowers, the case of Washington floral artist Barronelle Stutzman. She has waited far too long for justice—now is her time.

“As the Supreme Court wrote in its Masterpiece Cakeshop decision, which I argued on behalf of cake artist Jack Phillips, it is not ‘the role of the State or its officials to prescribe what shall be offensive.’ Despite that, Jack has been sued twice more, Barronelle continues to live with the threat of losing her business and life savings, and numerous others exist with the looming possibility of unconstitutional government coercion and punishment, all because they won’t act contrary to their faith and conscience. The Supreme Court’s intervention is sorely needed to end this abuse of power.”

A full news release will be released shortly.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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