SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 13 (UPI) — The Utah judge who ordered a 9-month-old baby girl removed from the home of her lesbian foster parents has apparently had a change of heart.
Juvenile Judge Scott Johansen amended his removal order today and scheduled a hearing for Dec. 4 to determine what is in the best interests of the little girl.
On Tuesday, he had ordered the 9-month-old removed from the home of the lesbian couple, who are legally married and have had the child for three months, and placed with a heterosexual couple, saying research shows children do best when raised by a mother and father.
On Thursday, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) filed a petition for a stay of the order, while the attorney for April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, the foster parents, filed a separate petition asking Judge Johansen to reverse his ruling.
A state law in Utah previously prohibited gays and lesbians from adopting or fostering children. This changed, however, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage in a 5-4 decision issued June 26, 2015.
Hoagland and Peirce have been married for a year. They are licensed foster parents and are raising two other children, Pierce’s biological 12 and 14-year-old.
The mother of the 9-month-old reportedly wants Hoagland and Peirce to adopt her daughter.
The judge’s order earlier this week to take their 9-month-old daughter made national news, with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeting on Wednesday: “Being a good parent has nothing to do with sexual orientation—thousands of families prove that.”
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