Snake-Handling Foster Care Couple Constitutionally Violated?
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution provides for religious freedom, and throughout the history of the country, that freedom has been cited in a variety of court cases. One of the most recent of these cases involves a couple from Kentucky whose foster care license was revoked because of their religious practices.
Jason and Tammy Barrett of London, Kentucky consider themselves Holiness faith evangelists, according to reports from FoxNews.com.
One of the religious rituals practiced in their church is that of snake-handling, which has its basis in Biblical passages that describe people of true faith handling poisonous snakes without getting injured. But, according to sources, the Barretts lost their foster-care license because of their participation in such a church.
Lifeway for Youth, the foster care agency in question, reportedly revoked the Barretts' license when the couple refused to stop attending services at their church, which allows congregants to handle snakes during certain rituals.
The couple is now suing Lifeway for Youth, alleging that the agency's action violates First Amendment rights.
Reports show that the couple has been licensed to care for foster children for more than two years, and even has licensing to care for children with special needs. Furthermore, the Barretts have never taken their foster children to the snake-handling services, sources show.
An interesting side-story has played into this lawsuit. Last year, a woman from the Barretts' parish was bitten in the face by a snake and died before receiving adequate medical treatment. According to sources, her family is suing a local hospital for making disparaging comments about the woman's religion rather than providing her with timely medical care.
The Barretts allegedly believe that Lifeway for Youth revoked their license because it wanted to avoid negative publicity associated with the woman's death and promote itself as a responsible childcare institution.
Unfortunately, that reputation was already in question for Lifeway after a three-year-old they placed was found dead in a closet in 2006. Reports show that an investigation is underway into the foster-care agency.
So what does all of this mean for the Barretts?
Sources indicate that the couple hopes that the public and the media will focus on the issue of religious freedom, not the issue of snake-handling. So far, though, it seems both issues are of equal interest to the various media outlets.