Utah judge steps down from case involving foster child of lesbian couple

Juvenile Court Judge Scott Johansen “hereby disqualifies himself from this case and refers all pending matters to be assigned by the presiding judge”, a court order issued Monday said.

Utah child welfare officials say they’re pleased that a baby can stay in a stable home with lesbian foster parents after a judge who had ordered the child placed with a heterosexual couple took himself off the case.

April Hoagland, left, and Beckie Peirce smile during a press conference outside of the Juvenile Court in Price, Utah Friday, November 13, 2015.

The couple, licensed as foster parents earlier this year, are already parents to Peirce’s 12- and 14-year-old biological children and said they were planning to adopt their foster child at the request of the girl’s biological mother, the Salt Lake Tribune and other news media have reported.

“We applaud Judge Johansen for recusing himself from this case”.

His decision last week had caused outrage and among those critical of it were Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

Following the outcry, Johansen reversed his order until at least the next hearing but he remained on the case.

A citizens’ petition was also launched to impeach Judge Johansen.

Last week, Johansen reversed the decision, but as the public called for his impeachment and the couple asked to have him disqualified, he decided Monday to step aside from the case.

Judge Johansen has previously come under attack for his tactics.

Group founder Josh Kanter points to the judge’s previous controversial conduct, including a 1995 judicial council reprimand he received after slapping a 16-year-old boy.

The national Human Rights Campaign on Monday urged the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission to investigate the judge’s actions.

In his initial decision, Johansen mentioned research showing children do better when raised by heterosexual families. The American Psychological Association, however, has said there’s no scientific basis for believing that gays and lesbians are unfit parents based on sexual orientation. That group alleged Johansen discriminated against the couple based on sexual orientation and called for a quick decision ahead of the custody hearing next month.