The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is deeply troubled by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s signing of House Bill 3859 into law. This legislation empowers private child placing agencies to discriminate on the basis of religious or moral beliefs. Dayan Gross, ADL Southwest Regional Director issued the following statement:

“This law has the potential to force taxpayers to fund discrimination where a child placement is denied, for example, because the prospective parent is homosexual, transgender, Jewish, Muslim  or another faith, interracial or inter-religious. It will greatly narrow the opportunities for prospective parents to foster and adopt and, more importantly, will make it harder for children who need foster and adoptive parents to find homes.”

The number of children without families in Texas far exceeds the number of able and loving homes and this law hurts Texas’ children in need.

“The only consideration of a child welfare agency in this state should be the best interests of the child, not denying placement simply because of the prospective parents’ religion, race, sexual orientation or other personal characteristic,” Gross said.

ADL welcomes anyone who believes they are experiencing discrimination under this law to contact its office at Southwest@adl.org.

For more information or to set up an interview, call Dena Marks at 832-567-8843.