By Jessica Gresko

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the city of Philadelphia violated the Constitution by limiting its relationship with a Catholic foster care agency over the group's refusal to certify same-sex couples as foster parents.

The justices came down unanimously against Philadelphia and for Catholic Social Services.

“The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

Catholic Social Services is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The agency has said that its Catholic beliefs prevent it from certifying same-sex couples as foster parents.

Philadelphia learned in 2018 from a newspaper reporter that the agency would not work with same-sex couples. The city has said it requires that the two dozen-plus foster care agencies it works with not to discriminate as part of their contracts. The city asked the Catholic agency to change its policy, but the group declined. As a result, Philadelphia stopped referring additional children to the agency.

Catholic Social Services sued, but lower courts sided with Philadelphia.

Share:
More In Culture
Top Toys for Under $20
Getting your children doesn't mean you need to break the bank to do so. Cheddar News' Michelle Castillo attended Toy Insider's Holiday of Play event to find toys that you can get for under $20 ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Cheddar Paws: Observing National Service Dog Month
September is National Dog Service Month. Rubie Nathanson, a trainer with Dog Training Elite, joined Cheddar News to discuss the differences between a service dog and a typical pet and the importance of service dogs overall.
Cheddar News Attends Cosmetic Executive Women Beauty Bazaar
Cosmetic Executive Women is holding their Beauty Creator Awards and Cheddar News' Hena Doba went to check out some of the groundbreaking beauty products that were on display for hair care, skin care along with fragrances and color cosmetics.
Load More