--- title: "Oregon settles adoption lawsuit with woman denied over religious beliefs" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-14T23:25:29.221Z" source_reported: "2026-09-14T22:34:03.000Z" updated: "2026-09-14T23:25:29.221Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-14T23:15:41.310997+00:00" --- # Oregon settles adoption lawsuit with woman denied over religious beliefs *State agrees to reconsider Jessica Bates' application and pay her legal fees.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body, and two independent outlets published full reports. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific dates and places. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. The language used is somewhat loaded, with phrases like 'gender ideology' and 'liberal state'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Oregon will reconsider Jessica Bates' adoption application after settling a lawsuit. - The state agency cannot reject Bates based on her religious beliefs about same-sex marriage and gender identity. - The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously sided with Bates, ordering a preliminary injunction. - Oregon has agreed to pay Bates' attorneys' fees as the prevailing party in the case. Oregon has settled a lawsuit with Jessica Bates, a woman who was denied adoption due to her religious beliefs concerning same-sex marriage and gender identity. The settlement requires the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) to reconsider Bates' adoption application and prohibits the agency from rejecting her based on these beliefs. The state has also agreed to pay Bates' attorneys' fees. Bates, a widowed mother of five, sued ODHS in 2023 after her application to adopt foster care siblings was denied. Her lawsuit, filed with representation from the Alliance Defending Freedom, argued that ODHS policies requiring prospective parents to support the sexual orientation and gender identity of a child conflicted with her religious convictions. The Alliance Defending Freedom stated that Bates' beliefs included that parents should help children become comfortable with who they are, rather than promoting views that girls can become boys and vice versa. In July 2025, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Bates, ordering a preliminary injunction. Following this ruling, Oregon agreed to allow Bates to restart her application process earlier this year. ODHS spokesperson Jake Sunderland stated that the agency has updated its rules to comply with the judgment and will continue to prioritize child-specific safety needs, including placing LGBTQIA2S+ children with parents able and willing to support them. ## Disagreement on agency's future policy The Register-Guard reported that ODHS maintains it will continue to place children based on their specific needs, including placing LGBTQIA2S+ youth in affirming homes. Sunderland added that the judgment does not prevent ODHS from deciding a child’s placement based on their specific needs and a foster or adoptive parent’s ability or willingness to meet them, including the child’s sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Just the News reported that the state preserved some flexibility on specific placement decisions, stating it can consider applicants' concerns or limitations, including those religiously motivated, on their ability or willingness to meet a child’s specific needs regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mention the specific date the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a preliminary injunction, which was July 2025. The left-rated report stated this date. No centre-rated outlet ran this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 17% (1) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 83% (5) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-14T23:15:41.310997+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-14T23:30:18.194Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Register-Guard, the sole left-rated report, led with the settlement and the state's agreement to reconsider Jessica Bates' adoption application. It highlighted that the agency is prohibited from rejecting her based on her religious beliefs. The report included statements from ODHS spokesperson Jake Sunderland emphasizing the agency's commitment to supporting the LGBTQIA2S+ community and prioritizing child-specific safety needs, including placing LGBTQIA2S+ children with affirming parents. The outlet also quoted Bates expressing gratitude for the Alliance Defending Freedom's advocacy for her rights. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The right-rated reports from Just the News, Tennessee Star, World, and LifeNews.com, along with the [your]NEWS digest, focused on Oregon stopping its blocking of the Christian widow's adoption bid after a court loss. Just the News and Tennessee Star detailed the stipulated order and judgment, noting it bans the state from rejecting Bates' application based on her religious beliefs regarding traditional marriage and biological sex, and prohibits a transgender language mandate. World's headline stated Oregon will let the woman adopt amid a battle over gender ideology. LifeNews.com reported that the Christian mom defeated Oregon's bid to stop her from adopting, framing it as a win against a 'liberal state'. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Register-Guard](https://registerguard.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/14/oregon-christian-mom-free-to-adopt-after-settling-lgbtq-policy-case/91766150007) — Oregon mom who rejected LGBTQ rules settles lawsuit, free to adopt - [[your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/09/14/7194836/oregon-agrees-not-to-deny-christian-widows-adoption-bid-over) — Oregon Agrees Not to Deny Christian Widow’s Adoption Bid Over Gender Beliefs - [Tennessee Star](https://tennesseestar.com/news/after-court-loss-oregon-stops-blocking-christian-widow-from-adopting-over-gender-identity-views/jtnews/2026/09/14) — After Court Loss, Oregon Stops Blocking Christian Widow from Adopting over Gender Identity Views - [World](https://wng.org/sift/oregon-to-pay-costs-let-woman-apply-to-adopt-after-legal-battle-1789416337) — Oregon to let woman adopt amid battle over gender ideology - [LifeNews.com](https://lifenews.com/2026/09/14/mom-wins-battle-after-oregon-banned-her-from-adopting-because-shes-christian) — Christian Mom Defeats Oregon Bid to Stop Her From Adopting - [Just the News](https://justthenews.com/nation/religion/after-court-loss-oregon-stops-blocking-christian-widow-adopting-over-gender) — After court loss, Oregon stops blocking Christian widow from adopting over gender identity views ## Questions **Why was Jessica Bates denied adoption?** Jessica Bates was denied adoption by the Oregon Department of Human Services because her religious beliefs conflicted with the agency's policies requiring prospective parents to support a child's sexual orientation and gender identity. The state has now agreed to reconsider her application. **What does the settlement require Oregon to do?** Oregon must reconsider Jessica Bates' adoption application and is prohibited from rejecting her based on her religious beliefs regarding same-sex marriage and gender identity. The state has also agreed to pay Bates' attorneys' fees as the prevailing party. **Did a court rule on this case before the settlement?** Yes, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Jessica Bates in July 2025, ordering a preliminary injunction. This ruling allowed Bates to restart her adoption application process earlier this year. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Oregon settles adoption lawsuit with woman denied over religious beliefs", https://mediabias.news/politics/oregon-settles-adoption-lawsuit-with-woman-denied-over-religious-beliefs