A man in Kansas helped a lesbian couple have a baby by donating his sperm, but now the state is ordering him to pay child support.
A man in Kansas helped a lesbian couple have a baby by donating his sperm, but now the state is ordering him to pay child support.
Artificial insemination can get expensive, so the couple took to Craigslist asking for help, as they were planning to do the insemination themselves.
William Marotta dropped off a couple cups of his contribution to the effort, signed some papers waiving his parental rights, and went on with his life.
In the meantime, the couple split and one of the women became ill. She was unable to work so applied for state aid.
5 years after his donation, Marotta was notified that he was responsible for tens of thousands of dollars in support.
The state based their case on the fact that a doctor wasn’t involved in the insemination process, rendering it an invalid arrangement under the law.
Marotta’s lawyer believes that the whole situation seems more motivated by politics than legal concerns, as same-sex marriage isn’t permitted in Kansas.
He plans to appeal the decision and feels the issue in general should be reviewed by the Kansas Legislature, as the insemination laws are incomplete.
