Posted on Jan 20, 2022
Tennessee couple sues state after allegedly being denied foster services over Jewish faith
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A Tennessee couple is suing the state's Department of Children's Services after they say they were denied services by a state-funded program because of their Jewish faith.
Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram were trying to complete the state's mandatory foster parent certification process in order to adopt when they were denied training services, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The Rutan-Rams said they were hoping to adopt a young boy with a disability from Florida, but had to go through their state's foster-to-adopt certification before Florida authorities could allow them guardianship.
They were then directed by the state to Holston United Methodist Home for Children to complete their TN KEY foster-parent-training classes and home-study certifications, the lawsuit said.
A representative for Holston emailed them in January 2021 to tell them they "only provide adoption services to prospective adoptive families that share our belief system," according to the lawsuit.
Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram were trying to complete the state's mandatory foster parent certification process in order to adopt when they were denied training services, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The Rutan-Rams said they were hoping to adopt a young boy with a disability from Florida, but had to go through their state's foster-to-adopt certification before Florida authorities could allow them guardianship.
They were then directed by the state to Holston United Methodist Home for Children to complete their TN KEY foster-parent-training classes and home-study certifications, the lawsuit said.
A representative for Holston emailed them in January 2021 to tell them they "only provide adoption services to prospective adoptive families that share our belief system," according to the lawsuit.
Tennessee couple sues state after allegedly being denied foster services over Jewish faith
Posted from nbcnews.com
Children
Lawsuit
Religion
Judaism
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""After Holston refused to serve them, the Rutan-Rams continued to search for an agency that would provide the services they needed to adopt the child in Florida to whom they intended to give a loving home and family," the lawsuit said. "But they were not able to find another agency in the Knox County area that was willing to provide them the services that Tennessee required for them to be eligible to adopt an out-of-state child. "
Their lawsuit alleges that the state's funding and contracting agencies that deny services to people based on religious faith is a violation of the Tennessee constitution.
Tennessee's Department of Children’s Services declined to comment on the pending litigation Thursday. It did not answer whether it guarantees secular service providers in each county.
In 2020, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that protects taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies. The measure allows agencies to continue receiving state funding even if they engage in discriminatory practices."...
...""After Holston refused to serve them, the Rutan-Rams continued to search for an agency that would provide the services they needed to adopt the child in Florida to whom they intended to give a loving home and family," the lawsuit said. "But they were not able to find another agency in the Knox County area that was willing to provide them the services that Tennessee required for them to be eligible to adopt an out-of-state child. "
Their lawsuit alleges that the state's funding and contracting agencies that deny services to people based on religious faith is a violation of the Tennessee constitution.
Tennessee's Department of Children’s Services declined to comment on the pending litigation Thursday. It did not answer whether it guarantees secular service providers in each county.
In 2020, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that protects taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies. The measure allows agencies to continue receiving state funding even if they engage in discriminatory practices."...
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Religion should not be a factor when it comes to adoption or foster care services. Children are being denied a family setting because of religion or because of sexual orientation. It sickens me. We are too advanced as a civilization for this BS.
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I deal with similar cases (out of state foster child) all day.
Either this story is a misrepresentation of facts, or this is a case of one person failing to do their job, not of a systemic / policy issue.
I cannot say more without violating departmental social media guidelines. And I have not worked on this PARTICULAR case in any way, shape, or form.
But it ain't what it looks like.
Either this story is a misrepresentation of facts, or this is a case of one person failing to do their job, not of a systemic / policy issue.
I cannot say more without violating departmental social media guidelines. And I have not worked on this PARTICULAR case in any way, shape, or form.
But it ain't what it looks like.
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