LANSING, MI (AP)-- A federal judge says Michigan cannot stop faith-based adoption agencies that have state contracts from refusing to put children in LGBT homes for religious reasons.
District Judge Robert Jonker issued a preliminary injunction Thursday. He says Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel's position targets the religious beliefs of St. Vincent Catholic Charities, and such agencies can continue working with the state while a lawsuit is litigated.
In March, Nessel and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced a settlement to resolve a suit filed by lesbian couples who alleged they had been turned away. Nessel says such denials are illegal discrimination.
Jonker said past statements by Nessel "raise a strong inference of a hostility toward a religious viewpoint." Nessel's office said she hadn't reviewed the ruling or determined next steps.
