The Oregon Supreme Court has refused to hear the case of a Christian husband and wife who were penalized for declining to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweetcakes by Melissa, had asked the state’s high court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that resulted in a massive $135,000 fine and the closing of their family-owned bakery.
The family-run bakery first came under fire in 2013 when they declined to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. The lesbian couple sued, initially seeking just $400 – the price of one of Melissa’s custom cakes.
But Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian decided they deserved more money, awarding them $135,000 in emotional damages. He then ordered the Kleins to “cease and desist” from openly professing that they won’t serve gay weddings because of their Christian beliefs.
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