The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that Philadelphia officials violated the First Amendment by suspending its contract with a Catholic social services agency that declined …
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that Philadelphia officials violated the First Amendment by suspending its contract with a Catholic social services agency that declined to certify same-sex couples as foster parents. In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the agency, Catholic Social Services (CSS) “seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else.” Roberts went on to note that no same-sex couple had ever asked to work with CSS, which is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The agency has said that if same-sex couples do apply for certification, they would be referred to one of more than 20 other agencies. CSS also does not certify unmarried couples due to its religious affiliation. “For over 50 years, CSS successfully contracted with the City to provide foster care services while holding to these beliefs,” wrote Roberts. The City of Brotherly Love suspended its contract with CSS in March 2018 after the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story detailing a same-sex couple’s experience with another foster care agency with a similar policy. The Inquirer reporter learned of CSS’ policy while working on the story and contacted the city’s Department of Human Services for comment.
