Foster parent applicants are denied for a number of legitimate reasons. According to FindLaw, prospective foster parents must be over 21, have a steady income source, have a record free of felony convictions, submit to a home assessment and attend parent training sessions.
Standards can be high, but apparently they can be daunting to a Muslim woman.
Contemporary Family Services (CFS) in Baltimore has strict standards. The Baltimore Sun reported that a woman was denied the opportunity to become a foster parent by the foster placement agency because she doesn't allow pork in her home.
That's it, no pork?
Tashima Crudup, the snubbed applicant, happens to be a practicing Muslim and does not believe in the eating of pork. She spoke with the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a religious discrimination complaint with the Baltimore City Community Relations Commission.
Also, Maryland's Office of Licensing and Monitoring sent a letter to the agency highlighting the state's laws with respect to discrimination. Although the case is outside of Illinois, what might Chicago family law attorneys say about it?
Tashima Crudup cleared the extensive screening process with no problems and underwent hours of foster parent training. But CFS eventually denied her application after a home visit last summer. Do they look in the kitchen to make sure the house is stocked with pork, bacon, gelatin and other hog-related foods?
CFS, meanwhile, said it never discriminates. The agency even admitted that bringing up the pork prohibition in the rejection letter was "a nice way of saying that the views of Ms. Crudup lacked the level of flexibility" required for the task of foster parenting.
Corey Pierce, the agency's COO, said the CFS works with foster parents of all religions and backgrounds:
"Why would we discriminate against her? Our issues with her are legitimate. It's not about religion, and really, it's not about pork."
Okay. So what's it really about if it's not about pork? And what if the applicant in question was a vegetarian and had no meat at all in the fridge?
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