Thursday, October 1, 2015

Oregon Bakers Won't Pay a Lesbian Couple $135K; Cite Econ. Hardship, Appeal Ruling of Labor Head

The owners of a Portland, Oregon bakery are refusing to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to a lesbian couple who they denied service, the Christian Broadcast Network website reports today (October 1, 2015).

Oregon labor commissioner Brad Avakian awarded the damages in July, saying that when owners Melissa and Aaron Klein refused to bake a wedding cake for the couple that they violated their civil rights by discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.

The lesbians originally sought just $400, the price of one of the Kleins' custom cakes.

The Kleins have appealed Avakian's ruling and are citing financial hardship. Since the ruling, they've had to close their business. However, a Labor Bureau spokesman claims that the Kleins have raised nearly half a million dollars in crowd-funding efforts and should be able to pay.

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