Let's talk about a couple in Tennessee, this is Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram.
Now they discovered at one point that they would be unable to have
biological children of their own.
So they decided that they wanted to foster and
hopefully eventually adopt a particular disabled boy.
And along the way in trying to get that done, experienced a sort of discrimination
that one would hope if not think we had routed out of America but we haven't.
So they wanted to do this to receive the required services in training that they
would needed to be able to foster and adopt this boy.
Rutan-rams then went to Holsten United Methodist Home for
Children, but they were allegedly denied help.
Holston was the only agency in their area of Knox county, Tennessee, willing
to provide training and services for the adoption process of an out-of-state child.
Now Holston initially told them that it would provide them with the services
they needed.
But the day that the Rutan-Rams were scheduled to start Holston's training
class, Holston told the couple it wouldn't serve them because they're Jewish.
Holston said it, only provides adoption services to prospective adoptive families
that share our Christian belief system.
Because there was no other agency in the Knox county area that would provide
the foster-parent training and certification for
the adoption of an out-of-state child.
The Rutan-Rams were unable to adopt the boy from Florida and
because of that they're doing a lawsuit.
Now it's not targeting that church.
They are accusing the department of Children's Services of violating
the state's constitutional rights to religious freedom and equal protection,
since it contracts with and funds Holston.
It's infuriating to learn our tax dollars are funding discrimination against us,
the father said.
If an agency is getting tax money to provide a service,
then everyone should be served.
It shouldn't matter whether you're Jewish, catholic or an atheist.
And finally, Elizabeth in this case says,
I felt like it had been punched in the gut.
It was the first time I felt discriminated against because I am Jewish.
It was very hurtful that the agency seemed to think that a child would be better
off in state custody than with a loving family like us.
And so look, we know that the adoption services, like a lot of other areas have
been allowed to be the source and site of discrimination based on religious grounds.
But when the government specifically works with an organization like this,
knows that it's the only one in the area that can provide these services and
allows them to continue to discriminate on religious bases.
Then that should just, common sense is that that would not be acceptable, but
it's the law of the land even up to today.
>> Okay, the two elements to the story.
First of all, we've been telling you about the rise of anti-Semitism.
So now this applies to every non-Christian, but
why is it anti-Semitic in particular?
It's not just because it's a Jewish couple and they would
probably would have done it to a Muslim couple, an atheist couple as well, right?
But in the past they would have been reluctant to do it to a Jewish couple
because they had done the whole spiel about the Judeo Christian heritage and
tradition and culture.
And they were trying to keep Jews within the tribe if you will of the right wing,
right.
Now they're at a point where they're like, no, okay, we can take the mask off.
Of course we hate the Jews.
No, you're not allowed to adopt kids through our service,
they'd be better off in an orphanage than with a bunch of Jews.
That is very literally what their actions are saying.
So, and the mother is right about that.
Now the second component of it is, so they're the Taliban and and
they say, okay, everybody has to follow our religion.
Now look, this is very important.
In America we believe in freedom of religion, they can believe anything they
want and they can, by the way use their own money for anything they want.
If they say, hey listen, we want to set up a service.
And you guys can participate, but only if you dance naked around our temple and
a lot of people want to dance naked around their temple and
do whatever the hell they're gonna do, have at it host.
But if they say now we're going to use government money, we're gonna use your
money, your taxpayer money and we're gonna make you dance like fools,
like naked around the temple because that's what we believe.
No, why do I have to do that?
Well, I don't believe your voodoo.
No, you have to believe it.
Otherwise you can't get kids.
Well that sounds like what Taliban would do.
Al Qaeda would do, ISIS would do, no, no answers, no, we're America.
You don't get to discriminate based on religion.
So yes, we're going to stand up for Jewish couples.
Yes, we're gonna stand up for everybody and
no way they should use government money for that.
Do discrimination with your own money, okay.
I don't like it, but it's a free country, but
you're not gonna do discrimination with my money.
>> I was gonna say this seems like a pretty textbook discrimination case.
And I am hoping that because of that this couple will win in court the way
they deserve to and if they don't, I promise I will go to fight for
them anyway that I can because this is an egregious act of discrimination.
But I will also,
I also want to note that the child that they were trying to adopt is disabled.
I'm disabled, I work in disability law and while I was in undergrad I worked full
time in a school for disabled children who were wards of the state.
So these children were all up for adoption,
it is almost impossible for disabled children to get adopted.
It is very difficult.
We live in a very able-ist society and it sucks, but
that's the world we live in and those Children who are wards of the state or
are in these sort of adoption centers are not getting the resources they need.
They are not getting the accommodations that they are legally owned.
And it's horrific having a family that wants them and loves them,
will give these Children, so much more access to resources that is necessary for
them and give them a leg up in a world that is fighting against them.
So to see an adoption agency deny a couple, a loving family who wants
to give a home to a disabled child who is already up, facing an uphill battle.
To deny them based on just their religion is abhorrent and
it makes me feel physically ill having seen the struggles that these children
who are wards of the state have to go through because of their disabilities.
Knowing the difference that having a household of parents who adore them and
want them to succeed would make in their lives.
It's disgusting and it's just a demonstration of how these people
are putting their religious views over their care for
the children that they have been entrusted to care for and it's despicable.