BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request to review the Tastries Bakery case, leaving in place a decision that protects the rights of same-sex couples across California.
The legal battle began in 2017 when Cathy Miller, the owner of Tastries, claimed that being forced to bake a cake for a same-sex couple violated her religious beliefs.
The California Civil Rights Department, on behalf of the couple, Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez-Del Rio, sued Miller for discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The case made its way through the courts and in March, a state appeals court upheld its decision, finding Miller discriminated against the same-sex couple. This is when Miller and her attorneys made their request to the high court.
After the denial from the Supreme Court, we received a statement from Miller.
"I'm disappointed the Court chose not to take my case, but my trust remains in Jesus Christ. For over a decade, I've welcomed everyone who comes into Tastries with the care and honesty my faith calls me to, and I'll continue doing exactly that. This isn't the result I prayed for, but I am sure God will use this for His glory. I will continue to work to use my creative skills to bless others and reflect my faith in Jesus," Miller said.
Miller's attorney, Adèle Keim, senior counsel at Becket, a non-profit legal institute for religion-based cases, also responded to the decision.
"Cathy has shown remarkable courage over the last eight years. We're disappointed the Court declined to hear Cathy's case, and we are evaluating Cathy's options for continuing to run Tastries in a way that reflects her faith," Keim said.
California Civil Rights Department Director Kevin Kish also weighed in on the Supreme Court's decision.
"The U.S. Supreme Court's order leaves in place a key appellate court decision that affirms the civil rights of people all across California," Kish said. "You cannot deny someone service by claiming a predesigned, multipurpose cake is protected speech. Every Californian is entitled to full and equal services at businesses in our state. I applaud Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez-Del Rio for speaking out and standing up for their rights. No matter your religion, sexual orientation, or other aspects of who you are, we're committed to protecting all our communities from discrimination."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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