Colorado Baker Says State Punishing Him After Supreme Court Ruling

 Baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, manages his shop in Lakewood, Colorado

The Colorado baker who was vindicated by the Supreme Court after he refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple claims that the state continues to harass him and is trying to "punish" him following a complaint from 2017. On June 28, the Colorado Civil Rights Division found that there was probable cause that Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, violated the state's civil rights statute when he refused to make a cake celebrating the anniversary of a transgender woman's transition. 

In response to the new charges of discrimination, Phillips has filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Civil Rights Division, Governor John Hickenlooper, and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman.

“After Phillips defended himself all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won, he thought Colorado’s hostility toward his faith was over. He was wrong. Colorado has renewed its war against him by embarking on another attempt to prosecute him, in direct conflict with the Supreme Court’s ruling in his favor,” his lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.

They point out that Phillips does not refuse to serve anybody, for any reason, and only refuses to make custom cakes when the message conflicts with his religious beliefs.

"Both Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop serve everyone. All people—no matter who they are, what they believe, or what protected characteristics they have—are welcome in Phillips’s shop and may purchase anything available for sale. But as a devout man of faith, Phillips cannot create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in conflict with his religious beliefs."

The lawsuit cites the Supreme Court ruling that "allows Phillips to decline to create cakes with pro-LGBT designs or themes."

The suit is asking for $100,000 in punitive damages from Colorado Civil Rights Division Director Aubrey Elenis "for lost work time, lost profits, and expenses caused by her unconstitutional actions, as well as damages for the humiliation, emotional distress, inconvenience, and reputational damage caused by her unconstitutional actions."

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content