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New lawsuit charges Methodist Children's Home uses tax dollars to discriminate in employment and to indoctrinate foster youth in religion
Georgia taxpayers, including fired lesbian counselor and Jewish psychotherapist denied job, sue United Methodist Children's Home of Decatur, Georgia in latest controversy over government funding of religious organizations.
(Atlanta and New York Thursday, August 1, 2002) - A new lawsuit challenging public funding of a religious organization was filed yesterday in Georgia, charging the United Methodist Children's Home (the Home) in Decatur with using state tax dollars to discriminate in employment and to indoctrinate foster youth in religion. Seven Georgia taxpayers, including a lesbian youth counselor and a Jewish psychotherapist who were denied the right to work at the Home for religious reasons, are filing the lawsuit to stop Georgia from funding the Home unless it changes its practices. The case is the latest controversy in the national debate over government funding of religious organizations.
Represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (Lambda Legal), the plaintiffs charge that, despite receiving 40% of its budget from the State of Georgia, the Home will only hire Christians, fired a lesbian counselor because her sexual orientation conflicted with the Home’s religious teachings, and refused to hire a highly qualified psychotherapist because he is Jewish. The lawsuit also alleges that the Home requires its staff to provide services to lesbian and gay youth, and other youth, based on its own religious beliefs rather than on sound professional practices. For example, the Home instructs its staff that lesbian and gay youth should be sent into potentially dangerous intervention therapy to undermine the youth’s sexual orientation. In addition, all youth at the state-funded facility are required to attend Methodist services, regardless of their religious beliefs.
After all, it's ALL ABOUT THEM!!! Forget the children that it helps...they're the ONLY ONES with any "civil rights", don't you know?!
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