In a legal development, a Catholic couple in Massachusetts, Michael and Catherine Burke, are taking legal action against a children’s service after their foster care application was allegedly rejected due to their anti-trans views. The Burkes, who were pursuing foster parenting as a prelude to adoption, had their application denied by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) in April. Court documents, dated Tuesday, reveal that the denial was grounded in concerns about their stance on caring for an LGBTQ+ child.
Email correspondence obtained by Newsweek indicates that the couple expressed frustration and accused the DCF of religious discrimination after being informed of the denial. The court documents submitted by the couple deem the DCF’s actions as unconstitutional and discriminatory. Their legal filing seeks the removal of ‘discriminatory’ statements from their file and requests compensatory damages.
The DCF cited the couple’s responses regarding the placement of LGBTQIA+ children as the basis for their denial. This decision is at odds with DCF regulations that require foster parents to support a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Burkes, devout Catholics, argued in their claim that they hold strong religious beliefs about gender-affirming care and that they would provide love and support to any child placed in their home.
The lawsuit filed by the Burkes contends that the DCF is improperly using standards to exclude Catholic families from fostering children. It calls for the removal of discriminatory statements from the couple’s file and urges appropriate actions to prevent further harm due to the alleged discriminatory denial. This case underscores the intricate intersection of religious convictions and LGBTQ+ rights within the foster care system.