ACLU: Foster mother rejected for not serving pork

[Article 15]

Almost two decades ago, Tashima Crudup left her grandmother's home and entered the city's foster care system, where she learned firsthand what makes a good mother.

As she shuffled from family to family beginning at age 8, Crudup encountered some attentive and loving foster parents, while others were unsupportive and constraining.

"I always wanted to be a foster parent," said the 26-year-old mother of five.

n July, Crudup — a practicing Muslim — contacted Contemporary Family Services, a private company authorized by the state to place foster children with families. She cleared an initial screening process and completed 50 hours of training classes for prospective parents. But after a home visit, her application was denied.

The main reason: She doesn't allow pork in her house.

Shocked, Crudup contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which filed a complaint Wednesday with the Baltimore City Community Relations Commission, claiming religious discrimination.

"I have a hard time believing [the company] denies every vegetarian or Orthodox Jewish person a foster care license," said Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney with the ACLU. "But I do believe Mrs. Crudup was picked out here … and it has led us to believe an anti-Muslim bias is playing a role in the decision."

ACLU: Foster mother rejected for not serving pork - Baltimore Sun

Here's copy of the letter she received:

Dear Mr. Moore and Ms. Crudup,

Thank you for your interest in becoming licensed treatment foster parents with Contemporary Family Services, Inc. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to approve your home for licensure.

We are denying your application because of concerns raised by statements made during the home study interview, specifically your explicit request to prohibit pork products within your home environment. Although we respect your personal/religious views and practices, this agency must above all ensure that the religious, cultural and personal rights of each foster child placed in our case are upheld. Your statement indicates that there could potentially be a discrepancy between your expectations and the needs and personal views of a child placed in your care.

Should you wish to appeal this denial decision, you must submit a written request for an appeal, which must be received within 45 days of this notice, to:

[Name and address omitted –EV]

Sincerely,

[Name omitted –EV]

The Volokh Conspiracy A Religious, Cultural, and Personal Right To Eat Bacon ? Even When Your Foster Parents Don?t Allow It in Their Home

 

[AllieBaba]

If you're a foster parent, you have to be willing to adjust to the cultural bent of the children you care for.

Though honestly I can't imagine what culture requires pork products.

 

[AllieBaba]

I recently learned something new about foster parenting, however....

Potential foster parents can be ruled out if they have any DV (even if the applicant was a victim and no longer lives with the perp) in their background.

!

Of course, depending how desperate CW is, they will determine cases individually, but I thought that was interesting. And it does make sense.

 

[chanel]

Did she file an appeal? My guess is he did not. And my second guess is that the pork was the excuse - not the reason. The woman has five children and she is 26. Nuff said?

 

[jillian]

If you're a foster parent, you have to be willing to adjust to the cultural bent of the children you care for.

Though honestly I can't imagine what culture requires pork products.

there isn't any. and it's illegal for them to discriminate that way. admit it, you agree with the ACLU this time.

 

[AllieBaba]

Must....have....pork....

I agree, and was actually going to say that as well, then became distracted and bored.

I have seen CW workers use the DV thing as an excuse to uber-screen certain applicants...while almost in the same breath giving an established foster parent a complete pass on the issue because they had no other concerns about her.

 

[jillian]

Did she file an appeal? My guess is he did not. And my second guess is that the pork was the excuse - not the reason. The woman has five children and she is 26. Nuff said?

they would have said that and it wouldn't have been illegal.

they discriminated against her because she is muslim.

 

[AllieBaba]

If you're a foster parent, you have to be willing to adjust to the cultural bent of the children you care for.

Though honestly I can't imagine what culture requires pork products.

there isn't any. and it's illegal for them to discriminate that way. admit it, you agree with the ACLU this time.

Sure..but read my last post as well. My guess is they have other issues with this family, and needed a way out.

CW are frontline when it comes to abuse, violence, dysfunction. If they get a hinky feeling, they will do what they can to act on it.

 

[Article 15]

Did she file an appeal? My guess is he did not. And my second guess is that the pork was the excuse - not the reason. The woman has five children and she is 26. Nuff said?

Having five children at her age is a bit odd. Maybe there is another reason behind it all? Maybe she didn't appeal because she preferred to file a complaint in an effort to prevent this from happening to other people?

The State of Maryland seems to think the service is in the wrong for citing that reason:

Officials from the state Department of Human Resources, which oversees Maryland's foster care system and hired the private company to manage the licensing process, notified Contemporary Family Services on Wednesday that it appeared to have violated several state laws.

"The law does not permit the agency to make a determination solely on the type of food served in a home," said Nancy Lineman, a spokeswoman for DHR. "If this was us, we would not disqualify someone from being a foster parent based on these circumstances."

I'm curious to know more.

 

[random3434]

Did she file an appeal? My guess is he did not. And my second guess is that the pork was the excuse - not the reason. The woman has five children and she is 26. Nuff said?

Maybe she has 5 children because she's trying to have a "real" family like she never had.



My mom had 6 kids, and I was the last. Should she have stopped at 5 too? (Yes!- say my haters! )

 

[Dr.House]

If you're a foster parent, you have to be willing to adjust to the cultural bent of the children you care for.

Though honestly I can't imagine what culture requires pork products.

Porkentologists?

Porkhova's Witnesses?

Porkists?

 

[chanel]

Not hating EZ - just suspicious. Did your mom want extras?

An extra thousand a month, and she could have gotten a teen to help with the babies.

My gut feeling is that it was about religion. And that may ve illegal, but if she is that strict about food, what else might she demand? Head scarves? Prayers five times a day? There's a lot more to this.

Interesting art.

 

[AllieBaba]

Or CW could know something about the family that is sealed...for example, maybe one of the kids has acted sexually inappropriately at school, or been molested in questionable circumstances. Perhaps they've had other contact with the family before through either third parties or unfounded allegations. Maybe someone in CW knows the family personally, and knows something about them that makes them not so great candidates.

These are all reasons to dq applicants, and I've seen CW work through this process before.

The truth is, we are desperate for foster care providers and CW workers are generally very willing to work with people. If I had to guess I'd say they were trying to be diplomatic (and failing miserably. Probably better just to address the real issue.)

Or they're completely bonkers. Which I do find hard to believe. Generally there's more than one person involved.

 

[AllieBaba]

Not hating EZ - just suspicious. Did your mom want extras?

An extra thousand a month, and she could have gotten a teen to help with the babies.

My gut feeling is that it was about religion. And that may ve illegal, but if she is that strict about food, what else might she demand? Head scarves? Prayers five times a day? There's a lot more to this.

Interesting art.

Particularly if the kids they are seeking to place are predominantly catholic, or Jehovah's Witnesses, or even Baptists. I can't see a Muslim mom of 6 taking the kid to Sunday school.

 

[AllieBaba]

American Indian tribes are extremely reluctant about placing their kids with white families, btw. If that's not discrimination I don't know what is.

 

[chanel]

There is a serious shortage of foster homes in my area too Allie. I'm fairly certain that this was not a whimsical decision made about pig meat. I've known many kids who were in the foster system. They would have freaked out in an overly religious home. Any religion. They probably should have approved her and then just not place anyone or maybe just a baby. If everything else was in order of course. Confidentiality always prevents us from getting the whole story.

 

[Againsheila]

Almost two decades ago, Tashima Crudup left her grandmother's home and entered the city's foster care system, where she learned firsthand what makes a good mother.

As she shuffled from family to family beginning at age 8, Crudup encountered some attentive and loving foster parents, while others were unsupportive and constraining.

"I always wanted to be a foster parent," said the 26-year-old mother of five.

n July, Crudup — a practicing Muslim — contacted Contemporary Family Services, a private company authorized by the state to place foster children with families. She cleared an initial screening process and completed 50 hours of training classes for prospective parents. But after a home visit, her application was denied.

The main reason: She doesn't allow pork in her house.

Shocked, Crudup contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which filed a complaint Wednesday with the Baltimore City Community Relations Commission, claiming religious discrimination.

"I have a hard time believing [the company] denies every vegetarian or Orthodox Jewish person a foster care license," said Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney with the ACLU. "But I do believe Mrs. Crudup was picked out here … and it has led us to believe an anti-Muslim bias is playing a role in the decision."

ACLU: Foster mother rejected for not serving pork - Baltimore Sun

Here's copy of the letter she received:

Dear Mr. Moore and Ms. Crudup,

Thank you for your interest in becoming licensed treatment foster parents with Contemporary Family Services, Inc. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to approve your home for licensure.

We are denying your application because of concerns raised by statements made during the home study interview, specifically your explicit request to prohibit pork products within your home environment. Although we respect your personal/religious views and practices, this agency must above all ensure that the religious, cultural and personal rights of each foster child placed in our case are upheld. Your statement indicates that there could potentially be a discrepancy between your expectations and the needs and personal views of a child placed in your care.

Should you wish to appeal this denial decision, you must submit a written request for an appeal, which must be received within 45 days of this notice, to:

[Name and address omitted –EV]

Sincerely,

[Name omitted –EV]

The Volokh Conspiracy A Religious, Cultural, and Personal Right To Eat Bacon ? Even When Your Foster Parents Don?t Allow It in Their*Home

Good grief...not having pork can be a good thing. Do you think Americans really need all that bacon in our diet? Are vegetarians turned down too? As long as the kid gets a balanced diet, why do they even care what they eat?

 

[AllieBaba]

There is a serious shortage of foster homes in my area too Allie. I'm fairly certain that this was not a whimsical decision made about pig meat. I've known many kids who were in the foster system. They would have freaked out in an overly religious home. Any religion. They probably should have approved her and then just not place anyone or maybe just a baby. If everything else was in order of course. Confidentiality always prevents us from getting the whole story.

You're all over the place with that one, I'm afraid.

 

[bodecea]

Almost two decades ago, Tashima Crudup left her grandmother's home and entered the city's foster care system, where she learned firsthand what makes a good mother.

As she shuffled from family to family beginning at age 8, Crudup encountered some attentive and loving foster parents, while others were unsupportive and constraining.

"I always wanted to be a foster parent," said the 26-year-old mother of five.

n July, Crudup — a practicing Muslim — contacted Contemporary Family Services, a private company authorized by the state to place foster children with families. She cleared an initial screening process and completed 50 hours of training classes for prospective parents. But after a home visit, her application was denied.

The main reason: She doesn't allow pork in her house.

Shocked, Crudup contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which filed a complaint Wednesday with the Baltimore City Community Relations Commission, claiming religious discrimination.

"I have a hard time believing [the company] denies every vegetarian or Orthodox Jewish person a foster care license," said Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney with the ACLU. "But I do believe Mrs. Crudup was picked out here … and it has led us to believe an anti-Muslim bias is playing a role in the decision."

ACLU: Foster mother rejected for not serving pork - Baltimore Sun

Here's copy of the letter she received:

Dear Mr. Moore and Ms. Crudup,

Thank you for your interest in becoming licensed treatment foster parents with Contemporary Family Services, Inc. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to approve your home for licensure.

We are denying your application because of concerns raised by statements made during the home study interview, specifically your explicit request to prohibit pork products within your home environment. Although we respect your personal/religious views and practices, this agency must above all ensure that the religious, cultural and personal rights of each foster child placed in our case are upheld. Your statement indicates that there could potentially be a discrepancy between your expectations and the needs and personal views of a child placed in your care.

Should you wish to appeal this denial decision, you must submit a written request for an appeal, which must be received within 45 days of this notice, to:

[Name and address omitted –EV]

Sincerely,

[Name omitted –EV]

The Volokh Conspiracy A Religious, Cultural, and Personal Right To Eat Bacon ? Even When Your Foster Parents Don?t Allow It in Their*Home

I want to see a religion, cultural or personal group that REQUIRES pork products. If they can it's a valid rejection...other than that, it is blatant discrimination.

 

[AllieBaba]

Maybe eating pig is a cultural thing for kids.

Hawaiians!

I think it's more that CW knows something else about this family that either they can't disclose or wasn't proven, and they used this (really stupid) reason to facilitate hazing out the family.