After months of negotiations, the
Kentucky Baptist Homes for
Children will continue to provide care for abused and neglected children for the state, despite a lawsuit against the organization for having fired an avowed homosexual.
The Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children and the
Commonwealth of
Kentucky were sued by the
American Civil
Liberties Union in April after the children’s home fired Alicia Pedreira in 1998 based on her homosexuality. The ACLU argues that since the religiously based institution accepts public funds, it should not be allowed to discriminate based on religious beliefs. In this case, Pedreira’s belief that homosexuality is acceptable conflicts with KBHC’s mission.
“We believe for us to promote homosexual behavior is not in the best interest of any child,” KBHC said in an April statement. “Such behavior could have devastating emotional and physical consequences. It is especially not in the best interest of children and teens who are in crisis because of sexual and physical abuse.”
The Baptist Homes signed the new contract this week, allowing the 300 children in its care and nearly 500 employees to remain with the organization — the state’s largest private provider of youth social services.
The state of Kentucky contracts for services from the Baptist organization and paid the agency about $12 million last year — just over half the homes’ annual budget.
This year, the state offered the agency a new two-year, $12 million contract but said the agency had to assume liability for litigation arising from its policy not to employ openly gay workers. The contract also said the state could stop referring children there at any time.
The Baptist Homes executive committee voted unanimously in June to accept the deal, then rethought its decision. But the agency decided Thursday to accept the contract after all.
“KBHC has been assured by Gov. Paul Patton that state government will continue its hands-off approach to the policies of its contracting agencies and companies,” said KBHC president Bill Smithwick. “Like most Kentuckians, Gov. Patton knows that KBHC’s policies violate no laws. Our policy exists for the same reason the agency exists, to provide the best care possible for children victimized by physical and sexual abuse and neglect.”
“The revised contract reinforced a long-standing practice that permits individual social workers to decide where to place a child in need,” he continued. “I am greatly encouraged that the governor plans to contact all social workers employed by the Cabinet for Families and children to reiterate that the decision on where to place a child is up to them and not a cabinet policy.”
Calls to Jeff Vessels, executive director of the ACLU in Kentucky, were not returned.
Related story:
ACLU sues Baptist children’s home