A federal district court ruled that Washington state cannot force Christian foster parents to affirm gender ideology, delivering a decisive victory for religious freedom. The April 22 decision allows Shane and Jennifer DeGross to continue their lawsuit after the state denied them a standard foster-care license solely because of their religious beliefs about biological sex.
Religious Discrimination in Foster Care System
The DeGross family served as foster parents in Washington for years until 2022, when state officials refused to renew their license under a policy requiring them to use children’s chosen pronouns. After losing their license, the couple filed a religious discrimination lawsuit in 2024. Washington allowed them to reapply, but after completing an extensive renewal process, officials still denied them a standard license based exclusively on their religious convictions about human biology.
Instead of a full license, the state imposed severe restrictions prohibiting the DeGrosses from fostering any child over five years old unless they abandoned their beliefs. The federal court found this arrangement problematic, writing that the Department forced the couple to choose between surrendering their freedom of speech for an unrestricted license or upholding their religious beliefs while receiving a restricted license with significant limitations.
State Ideology Over Children’s Needs
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse represented the family and criticized Washington’s priorities. He pointed out that while children sleep on cots in child welfare offices due to a shortage of loving homes, the state actively discourages qualified foster parents. A federal court already blocked a similar unconstitutional policy in 2021, yet Washington continues pursuing its ideological agenda instead of addressing children’s urgent needs for stable homes.
Constitutional Rights Versus State Mandates
The court’s decision to deny the state’s dismissal request means the case will proceed, potentially establishing precedent for religious freedom protections in foster care licensing nationwide. Conrad Reynoldson, founder of Washington Civil and Disability Advocate, serves as local counsel for the DeGross family. The ruling represents the latest clash between state governments attempting to enforce gender ideology compliance and families asserting their First Amendment rights to maintain traditional religious beliefs about biological sex and child development.
