Please complete the case study using the following format:

1. Determine the facts. (the ones relevant to the ethical issue)
2. Identify the ethical issues involved.
3. Identify stakeholders and consider the situation from their point of view.
4. Identify available alternatives.

5. Compare the alternatives based on:

A. Consequences for each stakeholder

B. Duties, Rights, and Principles

C.Implications for personal integrity and character

6. Make a decision. (what should happen?)

Richard was at an impasse. He was on the board of directors for a youth program that spanned the entire United States. Boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 21 participated in this achievement program that ultimately had them earning the title Falcon. To earn this title, they had to devote years of service to humanity. There were 2.5 million youth participating in the program and it was run by almost 1 million volunteers of which Richard was one. The problem that Richard was pondering was one that no matter what Richard decided, would result in the complete destruction of the program.

Several months ago, a far western coastal state had passed a law that said that the program must include LGBT leaders in instructing the youth. The program had challenged the law and lost in a court of that state. Now lawsuits were looming from dozens of other states to force the same verdict. Richard was at peace with what was happening. His nephew was part of the LGBT community and he had even marched in several pride parades with him. In his heart he felt that the country needed more sympathy and love towards people that identified as LGBT.

On the flip side was the fact that 85% of the programs funding and volunteers came from Christian sources. By and large these Christian sources were accepting of children who wanted to enter their groups and identified as LGBT, and welcomed them with open arms. What they were united on however, was that they would not be forced to replace their volunteer leaders with leaders who were openly LGBT. Their main fear was that they had vetted their own leaders and that they would have no control over who the replacements were or what their values entailed. The court ruling had stated that effective immediately, the board of directors must replace 10% of the leaders with LGBT candidates.

Richards conundrum was this: if he voted against the courts ruling, then the program would be inundated with lawsuits and eventually fail financially under the onslaught of litigation. There were already 21 lawsuits from other states and he could read the writing on the wall. The program could probably hang on for 2 more years at most. On the other side, he could vote to enforce the ruling country wide and begin to replace volunteer leaders. This would be equally if not more devastating. The finance department had reached out to groups and they estimated that 60% of the groups country wide would shut down immediately. Another 25% would continue their financial support for 1 year but stop meeting with the kids as a group.

Richard had gotten into this for the kids, and either choice he made would hurt them. Some of them had put 13 years of hard work and service to humanity into gaining their falcon and would not be able to do so. He wondered if the people who started the suit in the western state had done so for a humanitarian reason, or if they even cared that they had initiated the downfall of a program that had done so much good for mankind.