GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Bethany Christian Services says it will comply with a legal settlement prohibiting adoption agencies with state contracts from turning away same-sex couples.
“We are disappointed with how this settlement agreement has been implemented by the state government,” the Grand Rapids-based organization said in a statement. “Nonetheless, Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements.”
Bethany’s announcement follows a settlement, announced last month by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, for the case Dumont v. Gordon. In the case, same-sex couples represented by the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state, claiming Bethany Christian Services and St. Vincent Catholic Charities refused to let them adopt children the agencies accepted through referrals from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The case was a challenge to a law signed in 2015 by former Gov. Rick Snyder stated adoption agencies that contract with the state can decline service to prospective parents on religious grounds.
Bob Wheaton, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed that Bethany will abide by terms of the settlement.
“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is pleased that the department will be able to continue its long-standing partnership with Bethany in providing services to children and families,” he said in a statement.
Bethany Christian Services, as of mid-February, had handled 1,159 cases for adoption and foster care services for the state of Michigan. That was equal to about 9 percent of the cases overseen by the state. The organization has contracted with the state for more than a decade.