June 17, 2021
Decided June 17, 2021
Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, No. 19-123
Today, the Supreme Court held 9-0 that Philadelphia violated the First Amendment by refusing to contract with a Catholic agency for declining to certify same-sex couples as foster parents.
Background:
Philadelphia contracts with private agencies to place children with foster parents. The city’s contracts incorporate a city ordinance prohibiting sexual-orientation discrimination in public accommodations. Catholic Social Services (“CSS”) contracted with the city to provide foster-care placement services. After learning that CSS would not certify same-sex couples as foster parents based on its religious beliefs regarding marriage, the city refused to renew its contract with CSS. CSS sued, alleging that the city had violated CSS’s First Amendment rights.
The Third Circuit, applying Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990), held that the city’s nondiscrimination policy is a neutral, generally applicable law, and that CSS failed to show that the city either treated CSS differently than secular organizations or had ill will against religion.
Issue:
Whether the First Amendment prohibits the government from forcing a religious agency to comply with a non-discrimination requirement in order to participate in the foster-care system, where compliance requires the agency to take actions and make statements contrary to its religious beliefs.
Court’s Holding:
Yes, at least where, as here, the non-discrimination requirement is not generally applicable and the government fails to offer a compelling reason to deny the religious agency an exemption.
“The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment.”
Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the Court
What It Means:
The Court’s opinion is available here.
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