Christian Headlines/ Milton Quintanilla-
While an Oregon appeals court recently overturned a $135,000 fine for a Christian couple refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, a three-judge panel maintained that the couple violated state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the co-owners of the former Gresham-based bakery Sweetcakes by Melissa, have been engaged in a years-long legal battle after the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries punished them for refusing to bake a cake for Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, a lesbian couple, in 2013.
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon ruled that the Kleins’ refusal to bake the cake for the same-sex wedding was unlawful discrimination. Still, the court removed an order requiring the couple to pay $135,000 in damages.
“We adhere to our prior decision upholding BOLI’s determinations that Aaron unlawfully discriminated against the Bowman-Cryers based on sexual orientation,” Circuit Judge Erin Lagesen, the author of the panel opinion, wrote.
“We reach a different conclusion with respect to our prior affirmance of BOLI’s noneconomic damages award,” she continued.
“BOLI’s handling of the damages portion of the case does not reflect the neutrality toward religion required by the Free Exercise Clause,” Lagesen ruled. “We, therefore, set aside the damages portion of the order and remand for further proceedings related to remedy.” Continue reading…
