Washington D.C., Jun 28, 2021 / 13:30 pm
Religious freedom advocates on Monday applauded a recent Supreme Court decision, arguing it heralds a positive outlook for religious freedom cases of Catholic adoption and foster care agencies nationwide.
Earlier this month, the high court ruled unanimously in favor of two foster moms and Catholic Social Services of the Philadelphia archdiocese, in the case of Fulton v. City of Philadelphia.
The court found that the city violated the group’s free exercise of religion when it stopped partnering with the agency in its foster-care program. Catholic Social Services would not certify same-sex couples as foster parents on religious grounds, which the city said violated its nondiscrimination ordinance.
At a virtual panel discussion on Monday hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, Lori Windham - senior counsel at Becket and the attorney who argued on behalf of the plaintiffs before the Supreme Court - said that “Philadelphia could not pass strict scrutiny” in the case.