Catholic couple are suing Massachusetts after their foster parent application was rejected because they do not support procedures to change a child’s “God-given gender” and believe in “traditional” marriage
Catholic couple are suing Massachusetts after their foster parent application was rejected because they do not support procedures to change a child’s “God-given gender” and believe in “traditional” marriage
- Devout Catholics Michael and Catherine Burke told the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families they would maintain their religious views on marriage and sexuality if they became foster parents
- DCF regulations clearly state that foster parents must “respect a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity”
- The couple’s foster license application was rejected by the state in April and they are now suing for ‘discrimination’
A Catholic couple is suing Massachusetts after their application to become a foster parent was rejected over concerns they would not “confirm” to a child who identified as LGBTQ+.
Court documents submitted this week show that Catherine and her husband Michael Burke, who are devout Catholics, applied to become foster parents after experiencing “the heartbreak of infertility.”
However, their application was rejected in April by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families after staff became concerned about the couple’s answers to questions about caring for an LGBTQ+ child.
In their lawsuit, the couple says they “believe that children should not undergo procedures that attempt to change their God-given gender, and that they uphold Catholic views on marriage and sexuality.”
The couple, who both work as musicians in Catholic churches, believe their values are “decent and honorable” and that the DCF’s rejection of their foster license is “discriminatory and unconstitutional.”
Devout Catholics Michael and Catherine Burke told the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families they would maintain their religious views on marriage and sexuality if they became foster parents
Linda Spears, the department’s commissioner, is named in the couple’s discrimination case
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Family in April was reportedly concerned about the couple’s answers to questions about caring for an LGBTQ+ child
The DCF List of Regulations for the Adoption or Foster Care of a Child, last updated in January, specifically states that foster parents should “promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of a child in his or her care, including the support and respect a sexual orientation or gender identity of the child.’
The lawsuit argues that the DCF cannot use the standards “to operate as a religious exclusion for potential foster parents.”
Michael, an Iraqi war veteran with PTSD, said in a statement: “After months of interviews and training, and after years of heartbreak, we were about to finally become parents.
“We were absolutely devastated when we learned that Massachusetts would rather have children sleeping in hospital corridors than welcome children in need into our homes.”
Becket Law, the company representing the Burkes, said the couple was concerned during their interviews at home that many of the department’s questions focused on their Catholic views on sexual orientation and gender dysphoria.
“It takes the heroic effort of parents like Mike and Kitty to foster loving homes for vulnerable children,” said Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at Becket.
‘Massachusetts’ actions leave the Burkes and families of other religions out in the cold. How can they explain this to children waiting for a home?’ she added.
Eleven DCF employees were named as defendants in the lawsuit, including Linda Spears, the department’s commissioner, and Kate Walsh, the secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.