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Christian foster families fight back against Massachusetts transgender mandate

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Christian foster families fight back against Massachusetts transgender mandate

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Christian foster parents in Massachusetts are challenging a state policy that requires them to affirm and encourage the medical transition of children in their care who identify as transgender or risk losing their foster care licenses.

The lawsuit, filed Sept. 3, names two families — the Jones and the Schrocks — who foster young children and infants. 

Both families say they have either lost or are at risk of losing their licenses because of the policy, which requires foster parents to sign agreements to “promote,” “support” and “affirm” a child’s gender identity or expression.

The Christian families argue that complying with the policy would violate their religious beliefs.

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Nick and Audrey Jones, foster parents suing Massachusetts over a gender affirming policy. At right, LGTBQ activists rally in support of transgender people on the steps of New York City Hall Oct. 24, 2018. (Alliance Defending Freedom/Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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According to the lawsuit, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families plans to remove the Jones’ 17-month-old foster daughter from their home. The child has lived with them since she was barely 2 months old.

The Schrocks, who have cared for 28 foster children over six years, had their license revoked in June after telling the state they could not comply with the policy.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the religious liberty legal group representing the families, said the two households previously fostered 35 children and were in good standing before the new requirements.

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According to the suit, Massachusetts did not previously require foster families to pledge verbal affirmation of a child’s gender identity. That changed between 2023 and 2024, when the state began requiring families to sign agreements to speak and act in certain ways, including affirming a foster child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Two Christian foster families in Massachusetts are at risk of, or have already had their foster care licenses revoked, over a state gender identity policy. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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ADF argues the state is infringing on its clients’ First and 14th Amendment rights and is harming children at a time when Massachusetts is facing a foster parent shortage.

“DCF [Department of Children and Families] is even willing to remove young infants and toddlers with no understanding of ‘gender identity’ from loving homes because of their Christian beliefs, creating more trauma for the most vulnerable members of society,” the lawsuit states.

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ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse said Massachusetts was prioritizing ideology over children’s needs.

Under a Massachusetts policy, foster families in the state must commit to affirming and encouraging the gender identity and expression of children in their care, according to a new lawsuit. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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“Massachusetts’ foster care system is in crisis: The commonwealth has more than 1,400 children who are waiting to be placed with a loving family. Yet Massachusetts is putting its ideological agenda ahead of the needs of these suffering kids,” Widmalm-Delphonse said in a press release. 

He called the case “particularly egregious” because the state was threatening to remove the child the Jones family is fostering from the “only home she’s ever known.”

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The Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Children and Families, named as defendants in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The families are asking the court to block enforcement of the rule, declare it unconstitutional and cover their legal costs.

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Boston, MA

Driver charged in Norwood pedestrian crash that left man seriously injured

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Driver charged in Norwood pedestrian crash that left man seriously injured


A man was flown to a Boston hospital after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening in Norwood, Massachusetts, and the driver has been arrested.

Norwood police responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. to the intersection of Washington Street and St. John Avenue.

The victim was found seriously injured. Fire crews treated him at the scene before he was taken by ambulance to a landing zone to be airlifted by medical helicopter.

Police said the woman driving the vehicle was taken into custody. She is facing charges including operating under the influence of liquor.

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The crash is under investigation.



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Pittsburg, PA

Postponed: Waiting on Parkway East bridge to be demolished in explosion

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Postponed: Waiting on Parkway East bridge to be demolished in explosion


The Parkway East’s Commercial Street Bridge is about to blow – but it’s not happening on Wednesday night.

PennDOT say they were going to bring down the bridge sometime between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, but around 8 p.m officials and security said the explosion was postponed.

The demolition will be shown live on PennDOT’s project page or 511 PA, which also has cameras placed along the project’s detour routes.

Watch the live stream here:

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A crowd of about 100 people gathered Wednesday evening at the Summerset at Frick Park residential development for a front-row view of the bridge demolition.

The atmosphere felt more like a neighborhood block party than a construction event. Families brought their children and pets, while groups of friends arrived carrying pizzas and coolers of beer. Lawn chairs lined the hillside as people in shorts and sunglasses settled in to wait for the explosion. Some spectators wore earplugs in anticipation of the blast.

A man with a ukulele strummed some folk tunes to liven the expectant atmosphere as police wrapped red caution tape around the edge of the hill, denoting the 800-foot security perimeter around the bridge.

Merav Amos, from Squirrel Hill, brought her family for a picnic, complete with books, lawn chairs and glasses of wine.

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Amos said she planned the trip when PennDOT released its expected demolition window, but realized then and there that there was one thing she had forgotten.

“I actually hope it’s not going to be too loud, because we don’t have earplugs,” she said.

Amos lives near the Parkway East’s local detour route, and has had to deal with traffic increasing near her home since the bridge closed on Friday. She hoped watching the demolition live would provide a satisfying payoff.

“The last few days were very rough,” she said. “I want to see some action.”

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Jim Christy, of Robinson, parked in the South Side and made the journey over on his bike to watch the explosion.

Christy frequently bikes through the Frick Park trails — some of which were restricted on Wednesday ahead of the demolition.

“It better go off without a hitch,” he said.





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Connecticut

Connecticut Technical Education and Career System under investigation by U.S. Department of Education

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Connecticut Technical Education and Career System under investigation by U.S. Department of Education


(WFSB) – The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System is under investigation by the United States Department of Education.

In a letter sent to the superintendent obtained by Channel 3, the nature of the investigation centers around the district’s handling of rape and/or sexual assault cases by school staff.

“Due to the District’s inaccurate responses to the rape and/or sexual assault data elements involving allegations against school staff of OCR’s 2023–24 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the directed investigation will examine whether the District has policies and procedures in place to ensure accurate data collection and reporting and that its handling of the sexual harassment, including sexual assault, of students by District teachers, administrators, and/or staff members is consistent with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulation,” said the letter in part.

Read it in full below:

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The school system issued a statement in response to the investigation.

Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.



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