(ChurchLeaders) As votes from yesterday’s election continue to be tallied, the U.S. Supreme Court hears its first case with a new 6-3 conservative majority that includes Trump appointee Amy Coney Barrett. In Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, foster parents who serve through a Catholic agency claim they face religious discrimination because city officials require agencies to place children with same-sex couples.
Two years ago, officials in Philadelphia suspended foster-care referrals to Catholic Social Services (CSS), a longtime placement agency associated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The city claims CSS violates its contract by refusing placements in gay households, thereby discriminating against the LGBTQ community. CSS, meanwhile, says its First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and religion are being violated.