A U.S. Supreme Court case over a Philadelphia policy that outlaws LGBT discrimination by foster care agencies with city contracts could have sweeping effects on government enforcement of anti-bias laws for the workplace and other sectors, according to some legal observers.
The justices recently decided to tackle Fulton v. Philadelphia, which asks whether a policy that prohibits city contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation infringes on First Amendment rights. Catholic Social Services says Philadelphia didn’t renew its contract after a newspaper article revealed it wouldn’t work with same-sex couples interested in fostering or adopting children. The religious foster ...