The Oregon bakery ordered to pay
$135,000 in damages for refusing to serve a lesbian couple is
refusing to pay.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of
Sweet Cakes by Melissa, were found guilty of unlawfully
discriminating against the couple when they refused to make a cake
for the women's commitment ceremony.
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 Oregon
Live, the Kleins are refusing to pay $135,000 to Rachel and
Laurel Bowman-Cryer, claiming financial hardship.
But critics point out that supporters
of the Kleins have raised at least $515,000 in three crowdfunding
accounts to help the couple with expenses.
State officials are looking to
establish property or asset liens to collect the debt.