The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday
denied review in a case involving a bakery that refused to serve a
lesbian couple.
“The court has considered the
petition for review and orders that it be denied,” Oregon's highest
court said in its order.
Late last year, the Oregon Court of
Appeals upheld a decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and
Industries that found Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes
by Melissa, guilty of unlawfully discriminating against the couple
when they refused to make a cake for the women's commitment ceremony.
The agency imposed a $135,000 fine on the Kleins.
Aaron Klein declined to make the cake
for the women on January 17, 2013. Klein said he does not hate gays
but that making a cake for a same-sex wedding would violate his
faith. (At the time, Oregon had the nation's most robust domestic
partnership law. Following a federal judge's ruling in May, 2014,
Oregon became the 18th state to allow gay and lesbian
couples to marry.)
According to The
Oregonian, the Kleins have argued that the fine was excessive
and that the commissioner was biased against them.
The Kleins are represented by the First
Liberty Institute, which describes itself as “a national religious
freedom law firm.”
Kelly Shackelford, the group's
president and CEO, said in a statement that they would appeal the
decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“No one in America should be forced
by the government to choose between their faith and their
livelihood,” Shackelford said. “We look forward to making our
case to the Supreme Court of the United States.”