Oregon Department of Human Services

Oregon Settles Adoption Case, Reconsiders Christian Mother’s Application

Oregon doctors a settlement with Jessica Bates to allow her to be reconsidered for foster-adoption without requiring her to endorse gender ideology, effectively preventing denial of her application based on religious beliefs about sex and gender. The agreement also covers Bates’s legal costs, clarifies she cannot be excluded solely for her faith, and permits her to reapply, while Oregon maintains placements consider each child’s needs, including LGBTQ youth, separately from Bates’s case.