Adopted kids stand up against ACLU in court Michigan-based lawsuit threatens to shut down religious adoption programs helping children

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Several adopted children and foster families will be in court today speaking out against a lawsuit threatening to shut down religious adoption agencies. In Dumont v. Lyon, the ACLU is trying to stop the state of Michigan from partnering with religious adoption agencies because they run their programs based on their religious beliefs. The state of Michigan has thousands of kids who need a safe and loving home, and it can’t find enough families on its own. That’s why it relies on private agencies like St. Vincent to help find and support more families willing to foster and adopt. If the ACLU wins, it would make it even harder for thousands of foster kids, particularly minority and special needs children, to find permanent homes.   

Shamber Flore, who was adopted as a foster child in 2005, Melissa and Chad Buck, who have fostered and adopted five special needs children, and St. Vincent Catholic Charities, represented by Becket, are asking the court to allow religious adoption agencies to continue serving Michigan’s most vulnerable children.  

What:
Oral Argument in Dumont v. Lyon  

Who:
Shamber Flore
Melissa Buck
Stephanie Barclay, counsel at Becket  

When:
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. EST 

Where:
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
231 W. Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit
Room 737

A Becket attorney will be available for comment immediately following the hearing. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Melinda Skea at media@becketlaw.org or 202-349-7224. Interviews can be arranged in English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. 

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Becket is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions and has a 100% win-rate before the United States Supreme Court. For over 20 years, it has successfully defended clients of all faiths, including Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Native Americans, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians (read more here).