Select area of interest below

• Alimony Spousal Support
• Business Evaluations
• Child Support
• Complex Divorce
• Court Procedure
• Custody And Visitation
• Mediation Other Options
• Pre Divorce Planning
• Property Division
• Simple Divorce

The McKay Law Group, APC
Family Law Attorneys
402 West Broadway, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92037
P: (619) 321-6886
F: (619) 321-6889

June 5, 2007

Settlement Reached in Same-Sex Couple’s Adoption Case

A San Jose couple recently settled a discrimination lawsuit filed against the non-profit websites Adoption.com and ParentProfiles.com. The lawsuit claimed that the sites refused to post the couple’s profile because of their same-sex relationship status.

Both sites market to birth mothers who are seeking to give their children up for adoption. ParentProfiles.com charges a fee for prospective parents who post a profile on their site, and Adoption.com caters to California residents.

The Settlement

Michael and Rich Butler sued the defendants for discrimination after their profiles were refused. Under the settlement, Adoption.com and ParentProfiles.com must either comply with the state’s anti-discrimination law or shut down their sites.

“The settlement says that they will agree to follow the law,” said the Butler’s attorney Neel Chatterjee, “the only sad part of this case is that we actually had to fight a lawsuit to get somebody to do what the law requires.”

There was no monetary payout for the settlement but Rich Butler comments, “We are thrilled that the defendants have agreed to stop discriminating in California.”

Differing Viewpoints

“This is a tremendous hit for potential California adoptive couples because they can no longer use the ParentProfile.com service,” said Glen Lavy, attorney for the two sites.

However, Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center For Lesbian Rights, has a different opinion.

“What is so wonderful about this case is that we stopped this particular company from engaging in really egregious discrimination,” she said.

Michael and Rich Butler have since adopted a little girl from another California adoption company.

(Source: Bay Area Reporter)

Interested in learning more about adoption? Contact us to speak with an experienced attorney who will advise you on your legal rights and options.