Court affirms ruling against bakery that refused to sell same-sex wedding cake but tells state to reconsider fine – By Jamie Goldberg (The Oregonian/OregonLive) / January 26, 2022
The Oregon Court of Appeals for a second time Wednesday upheld a ruling by the state civil rights division that found that a Gresham bakery illegally discriminated against a same-sex couple by refusing to sell them a wedding cake in 2013.
However, the court found that the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries did not exhibit religious neutrality in issuing an $135,000 fine to Sweet Cakes by Melissa for illegal discrimination and sent the case back to the civil rights division to reassess its fine.
The long-running case began nine years ago, when Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer filed a complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Aaron and Melissa Klein, alleging the bakery refused to bake them a wedding cake upon learning the cake would be for a same-sex couple.