Oregon Issues Gag Order against Christian Bakers

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Jul 06, 2015

Oregon Issues Gag Order against Christian Bakers

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry has issued a gag order against the Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa after serving them with a $135,000 fine. 

Charisma News reports Aaron and Melissa Klein refused to make a cake for a lesbian wedding in 2013. The couple later sued the bakery for discrimination. 

The Kleins were fined $135,000 on Friday (July 3) and ordered to refrain from speaking publicly about the incident. 

According to the gag order, “The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries hereby orders [Aaron and Melissa Klein] to cease and desist from publishing, circulating, issuing or displaying, or causing to be published… any communication to the effect that any of the accommodations… will be refused, withheld from or denied to, or that any discrimination be made against, any person on account of their sexual orientation.” 

Melissa Klein responded that the order "effectively strips us of all our First Amendment rights.” 

She continued, "According to the state of Oregon, we neither have freedom of religion or freedom of speech."

Christian News Network reports the bakery owners intend to fight the court ruling. 

Publication date: July 6, 2015



Oregon Issues Gag Order against Christian Bakers