Brian Wooty of Vermont is a Baptist pastor and high school math teacher. He and his wife of 14 years, Caitlin Wooty, host a biweekly women’s Bible study and homeschool their five children. The couple first became foster parents in 2014, and later adopted two brothers who have become “vital” parts of their family.
Michael Gant is the lead pastor at another church, and he and his wife of 25 years, Rebecca Gant, are raising seven children. The couple became foster parents in 2016. In addition to their four biological children, they adopted three others from the foster care system in Green Mountain State.
Both families believe that God created all people in his image, that gender is binary and determined by God at conception, and that all people are worthy of respect and love.
Sadly, these two families have one thing in common besides their commitment to building loving homes and protecting the vulnerable, their stellar records and their Christian faith.
According to them
LitigationIn a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Vermont, the Vermont Department of Children and Families has barred the couple from continuing to raise their child because of their religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation.
“The state of Vermont would rather have children be homeless than place them in a religious home with these kinds of beliefs.”
“The Ootys and the Ganzs have adopted five children together, but the Department of Justice has found them ineligible to adopt or foster solely based on their religious and widely held belief that girls cannot become boys and boys cannot become girls,” the lawsuit states.
“And Vermont applies this policy categorically whether an applicant is seeking to adopt a grandchild, care for an infant for a few hours, or foster a child who all share its religious views,” the lawsuit continues. “Vermont would rather have children be homeless than place them with religious families who hold those views.”
In 2022, while the state was reviewing their application for a renewal of their foster care license, the Wooties learned that because of their mainline Christian faith, they were unable to provide a supportive home for orphans and other vulnerable minors.
Even though the caseworker suggested they “couldn’t have picked a better foster parent,” and the Ooty licensing officer clearly indicated they “without question” could bring another child into their home, the moment they stated they were Christian and didn’t want to jump on the ideological bandwagon of the time, everything changed. Somehow, in an instant, they stopped being great. The certainty that they could raise another child turned into the certainty that they simply couldn’t.
They received a “decision notice” from the VDCF recommending the revocation of their licence.
Last year, the state
985 children With 467 children in out-of-home protective custody and 150 in conditional detention, the Ganzes listened to the children who needed help.
VDCF apparently asked the couple if they could provide emergency placement for the soon-to-be-born baby with a homeless drug user. According to the lawsuit, the couple received an email explaining that before they could bring their next child into their home, “the family must accept the state’s orthodox views regarding gender fluidity, even if the foster parents have different personal opinions or beliefs.”
When the Gants met with a case worker about adopting the baby, they made it clear that they would “love and accept any child” but would not compromise their Christian faith. Michael Gant also made it clear to police officers that they would not give in to gender ideology, would not participate in pride parades, and would not use the wrong pronouns.
The couple received a “decision notice” regarding the license revocation in February.
“Our department is committed to continuing to recruit, train, support and retain LGBTQ-affirming and supportive foster parents.”
The lawsuit cites various indicators that the VDCF is ideologically captured and hostile to traditional views, many of which are still held by the majority of Americans, but also highlights the department’s LGBT activist orientation and Policy 76.
“In assessing the safety and risk of environments in which LGBTQ children and youth live, family service workers will determine whether the attitudes or behaviors of parents, guardians or other family members regarding the child’s or youth’s sexual or gender identity may impact the child’s safety and well-being,” the policy states.
“The agency is committed to continuing its efforts to recruit, train, support and retain LGBTQ-affirming and supportive foster parents,” the policy’s placement considerations section states.
The lawsuit noted that VDCF must reinterpret its existing requirements for foster parents in accordance with Policy 76 and that foster families must demonstrate they can follow the policy’s guidance.
In addition to this policy, other department notices and regulations indicate that devout Christians need not apply.
An email circulated by VDCF to all foster families on Sept. 8, 2023 reportedly stated that “license eligibility hinges on foster parents and applicants being able to support youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or other diverse identities (LGBTQI+), even if foster parents may have different personal opinions or beliefs.”
“It’s worth noting that this lawsuit was filed at the beginning of Pride Month.”
A VDCF spokesperson cited a statement from Alika Radke, deputy director of family services.
Christian PostThe department wouldn’t comment on the specifics of pending litigation, but said in a statement, “Generally speaking, DCF takes the care and support of youth in its care seriously and strives to ensure that youth in foster care are placed in homes that support all aspects of who they are, including their sexual orientation and gender identity.”
“It’s worth noting that this lawsuit was filed at the start of Pride Month, a time to reflect on the achievements and ongoing struggles of the LGBTQI+ movement,” Radke continued, alluding to his own biases. “Police are continually working to partner with the community to be better partners, allies and support systems, rather than barriers, for children and young people who identify as part of this community.”
“Providing a safe, affirming, accepting and welcoming home benefits all young people and has the power to save lives. This is true all year round but should be especially emphasized for these young people during Pride,” Radke added.
“They don’t need the state imposing gender ideology on them.”
Johannes Widmalm Delfons, legal counsel for the Alliance for Freedom, which represents the families, stressed to The Christian Post that contrary to Radke’s suggestion, it is the state’s policies that are “actually harmful.”
“The Cass report out of the UK shows that medication and surgery are probably doing more harm than good and that the evidence in this area is incredibly weak,” Wildmalm-Delphons said. “All children need is a loving place, someone to look after them while they sort these things out. They don’t need the government imposing gender views on them.”
Blaze News has previously detailed the extent to which the Cath Review, a multi-year investigation into the pseudoscience of transgenderism commissioned by England’s National Health Service, has undermined the ideology currently dominant in the VDCF.
Dr Hilary Cass, a British physician and former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics, comes to some damning conclusions in her book:
Final Reportlike:
- “The systematic review showed no clear evidence that social transitions in early childhood have any positive or negative mental health outcomes, and the evidence that they have any effects in adolescence is relatively weak.”
- Puberty blockers reduce bone mineral density and have no apparent effect on “gender dysphoria or body satisfaction.”
- The evidence supporting “gender-affirming care” is “weak” and unreliable.
Alliance for Freedom
stated“By denying people the opportunity to become foster or adoptive parents because of their religious beliefs and forcing them to speak the government’s preferred message about sexual orientation and gender identity, Vermont is violating the First Amendment.”
The lawsuit alleges that VDCF specifically violated the couple’s rights to free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion, as well as the due process clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The couple seeks a declaration that the department’s imposition of Policy 76 and several regulations against LGBT activists has violated and will continue to violate the couple’s constitutionally protected rights. They further seek an injunction against similar or future denials of foster parent licenses because of protected beliefs.
“Every child deserves a loving home, and when governments exclude people of faith from the adoption and foster care system, children suffer,” the Alliance for Freedom added.
The Ganzes and Wootys are not the first couple to be turned away from adoption or foster care because of their Christian faith. Massachusetts DCF last year rejected the adoption application of Catholics Mike and Kitty Burke. Washington state Dashed line Shane and Jen DeGross’ 2022 dreams.
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