FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2020

CONTACT
Manisha Sunil, West End Strategy Team
msunil@westendstrategy.com; Phone: 202-776-7700

Interfaith Alliance Urges SCOTUS to Reject Special Privileges for Select Faith-based Entities

WASHINGTON — In response to the announcement that the Supreme Court will hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case concerning whether faith-based service providers should receive federal dollars for discriminatory practices, Katy Joseph, policy and legislation advisor for Interfaith Alliance, released the following statement:

“The American foster care system is in a moment of crisis. As thousands of children seek the stability of a loving permanent home, today’s announcement indicates an openness by the Supreme Court to authorize discrimination in child welfare.

“The constitutional right to religious freedom protects the sanctity of personal belief. However, that freedom ends when the exercise of one’s faith would harm the rights or well-being of another.

“Since its inception, Interfaith Alliance has fought to ensure that tax dollars do not fund discrimination. A decision in favor of Catholic Social Services would vastly distort our first freedom by allowing faith-based providers to needlessly restrict the pool of prospective foster and adoptive parents, forcing vulnerable children to suffer the trauma of state care longer than necessary.

“On behalf of foster children and taxpayers across the country, we urge the Supreme Court to reject this attempt to create special privileges for a small number of faith-based entities. Religious freedom protects personal belief – not publicly-funded discrimination.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.