A federal court in Washington rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Christian couple who say they were denied an unrestricted foster license by the state because they wouldn't adhere to LGBT ideology.
In an opinion published Wednesday, Judge David G. Estudillo of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington denied a motion by the state to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jennifer and Shane DeGross over the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families’ refusal to grant them a full foster care license.
“In essence, the Department has forced the DeGrosses to choose between forefeiting their freedom of speech to obtain an unrestricted license, or upholding their beliefs surrounding [Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression], and receiving a less-favorable license subject to certain requirements,” Estudillo, a Biden appointee, stated.
The DeGrosses served as foster parents in Washington from 2013 to 2022. But when they sought to renew their license in 2022, they became aware of the state’s requirement that foster parents provide children “with resources that supports and affirms their needs regarding" sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and agree to use trans-identified children’s “pronouns and chosen name, and respect the child’s right to privacy concerning their [gender identity].”
The DeGrosses informed the licensing agency that they could not agree to this provision because of their deeply held religious beliefs about sexuality and gender. They say they lost their license as a result.
They filed a complaint in 2024, alleging violations of their rights to freedom of religion under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Judge won't toss Christian couple's lawsuit against Washington | Politics
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