ILLINOIS: Catholic Charities Loses Bid To Keep Adoption Contract With State

Catholic Charities has lost its request for a stay on the cancellation of its adoption contract with Illinois, a relationship severed by the state when the group refused to serve gay and unmarried couples.

Judge John Schmidt on Monday denied Catholic Charities’ request to stay his earlier ruling that the group has no right to state contracts to provide adoption and foster care services. Illinois ended $30 million in contracts with Catholic Charities in four dioceses in July because the organizations’ practice of referring unmarried couples to other agencies was discriminatory, a violation of the state’s civil union law.

Catholic Charities plans to further appeal to a higher court.