A federal court in Washington state refused to dismiss a lawsuit from two Christian parents who claimed they were blocked from obtaining a foster license because of their beliefs on sexual ethics.
Judge David Estudillo of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington denied the state government’s motion to dismiss Shane and Jennifer DeGross’ lawsuit, according to areportfrom The Christian Post.
Although the DeGrosses were foster parents between 2013 and 2022, they learned that the state required foster parents to provide children with resources that affirm their purported sexual orientation and gender identity.
As a result, the couple told the licensing agency they could not comply with the requirement, and they claimed that they lost their license.
The DeGrosses’ lawsuit asserted that Washington state violated their First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Estudillo wrote in his April 22opinionthat the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families “has forced the DeGrosses to choose between forefeiting their freedom of speech to obtain an unrestricted license, or upholding their beliefs.”
“The DeGrosses alleged sufficient facts to show a First Amendment violation unless the government can satisfy strict scrutiny,” Estudillo, a Biden appointee, added.
“At this stage, the DeGrosses freedom of speech claim continues forward.”
The couple filed their initial complaint in 2024 and submitted a foster care application along with a waiver saying they would “support a child’s right to privacy concerning their SOGIE,” referring to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
But they also said in the waiver that they would “avoid the use of pronouns which are contrary to the child’s biological sex.”
Source: VidNews » Feed
