A Topeka couple who found a sperm donor online are supporting the donor’s fight against a request that he pay child support.

Angela Bauer says she and her former partner, Jennifer Schreiner, are “kind of at a loss” about the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ decision to file a child support claim.

William Marotta is the Topeka man who provided sperm used to artificially inseminate Schreiner in 2009.

When Marotta responded to the Craigslist ad he agreed to relinquish parental rights, including financial responsibility to the child.

But when the women applied for state assistance this year, the state demanded they provide the donor’s name so it could collect child support.

A spokeswoman for the department said Friday she can’t comment on the case.