The Christian couple, Aaron and Melissa Klein, became national news a year ago after citing their religious beliefs in refusing to bake a cake for the wedding of lesbian couple Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman of Portland. Last September after an abrupt shutdown of their business the couple charged that gay activists killed. it with “mafia tactics.”
Charlie Burr, a spokesman for BOLI said Friday that investigators found significant evidence that the Kleins discriminated against the couple unlawfully because of their sexual orientation, according to The Oregonian.
“We received papers from BOLI yesterday (Thursday) and they have made their decision that we have apparently discriminated. From what we have gathered we now have to wait to find out what the fines will be within 60 days. I can’t say much more but will update when I’m able to. Please continue to pray for our family. God is great, amazing and all powerful. I know He has a plan,” she added.
A conciliation process between the lesbian couple and the Christian bakers is expected to be facilitated by the state, and if a settlement cannot be reached BOLI might pursue charges before an administrative law judge.
The complaint stems from an incident which occurred Jan. 17, when a woman came in with her mother to test wedding cakes. “I did my normal thing, where I asked what the bride-and-grooms’ first names were to write down on our wedding cake contract,” Klein told CNSNews.com.
“She – the girl – giggled a little bit and then informed me it was two brides. At which point, I looked up from my paper, and said, ‘I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t waste your time, but we don’t do same-sex marriages. We don’t believe it is right.”
Klein said the woman and her mother “looked at each other with a little bit of a disgusted look” and got up to leave. “Ten minutes later the mother came back in and told me I got to say my piece and I have a right to my opinion, but she wanted to give me hers, or say her opinion, and I said, ‘OK, go ahead. “She proceeded to tell me that she used to think like I did, then her daughter told her she was gay, and she realized that God had made her daughter that way. And disagreed with her.
I told her the Bible doesn’t say that. She told me that I needed to read my Bible, and I quoted Leviticus 20:13, at which point she told me I was wrong, and stormed out.”
Jeff Manning, communications director for Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, confirmed for CNSNews.com that the complaint, which had been filed by Laurel Bowman of Portland, was being investigated by the consumer protection division of the Oregon Department of Justice.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/oregon-ag-investigates-bakers-refusal-make-wedding-cake-lesbians
The state labor department said it found during its investigation “substantial evidence of unlawful discrimination” when the bakery refused to bake a wedding cake for the couple.
The department said private businesses are not allowed to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation.
While there are exemptions for religious organizations and schools, the labor department determined that Sweet Cakes is not a religious organization and it violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007.
The department said it may bring formal charges against Sweet Cakes if the parties can’t come to a settlement.
The Klein’s closed their Gresham store-front in August after sales plummeted, and moved the bakery back into their home when it started.
I am confident that any law that FORCES someone to do business with another person, when that customer has another choice, would be ruled unconstitutional.