ILLINOIS: Catholic Charities Loses Adoption Lawsuit Against State

An Illinois judge has ruled that the state acted legally when it canceled its adoption contract with Catholic Charities. The state's move came after Catholic Charities declared that it would not abide by the new civil unions law and treat gay couples fairly.

"The fact that the Plaintiffs have contracted with the State to provide foster care and adoption services for over forty years does not vest the Plaintiffs with a protected property interest," Schmidt wrote in the judgment. "The State may refuse to renew the Plaintfiffs' contracts." The charities had claimed that the DCFS decision not to renew contracts was illegal under religious freedom protections and argued that they have a right to continue foster care work without compromising religious practice. "We believe that we do comply [ with the law ] because there is an exemption there," said Thomas Brejcha, an attorney for the four charities. "To say that somehow our entities are the same as non-sectarian agencies is to say that alpha is the same as omega."