Christian baker no longer facing transgender lawsuit
The Supreme Court of Colorado has dismissed a case involving Jack Phillips, who declined to create a cake for a transgender woman. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Colorado Supreme Court has dismissed a case against Jack Phillips, a Christian baker who faced a lawsuit for refusing to create a cake for a transgender woman.
In 2017, Phillips was sued by attorney Autumn Scardina after his Lakewood-based establishment, Masterpiece Cakeshop, declined to make a pink cake with blue frosting intended to celebrate Scardina's gender transition.
On Tuesday, the justices of Colorado ruled 6-3, stating that Scardina had not fully explored other avenues for seeking resolution before bringing the case to the Supreme Court. However, the court did not address Phillips's free speech rights.
“We express no view on the merits of these claims,” Justice Melissa Hart remarked on behalf of the majority.
Conversely, the dissenting justices voiced concerns that Phillips' actions had breached the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and feared he might view the ruling as validation of his behavior.
Scardina’s attorney, John McHugh, expressed disappointment with the court's decision and indicated that he would assess potential legal paths moving forward.
In contrast, Phillips' legal representative, Jake Werner, welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that “enough is enough” and highlighting that his client had endured prolonged legal battles over the past decade, suggesting it was “time to leave him alone.”
During the proceedings, Werner, affiliated with the Arizona-based Alliance for Defending Freedom law firm, maintained that Phillips’ refusal stemmed from free speech protections and asserted that he did not deny service based on Scardina’s gender identity, but rather due to the message associated with the cake.
Phillips has stated that creating a cake for a gender transition was against his religious beliefs, affirming that he would have fulfilled any other cake or baked goods request not conflicting with his values.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
In 2017, Phillips was sued by attorney Autumn Scardina after his Lakewood-based establishment, Masterpiece Cakeshop, declined to make a pink cake with blue frosting intended to celebrate Scardina's gender transition.
On Tuesday, the justices of Colorado ruled 6-3, stating that Scardina had not fully explored other avenues for seeking resolution before bringing the case to the Supreme Court. However, the court did not address Phillips's free speech rights.
“We express no view on the merits of these claims,” Justice Melissa Hart remarked on behalf of the majority.
Conversely, the dissenting justices voiced concerns that Phillips' actions had breached the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and feared he might view the ruling as validation of his behavior.
Scardina’s attorney, John McHugh, expressed disappointment with the court's decision and indicated that he would assess potential legal paths moving forward.
In contrast, Phillips' legal representative, Jake Werner, welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that “enough is enough” and highlighting that his client had endured prolonged legal battles over the past decade, suggesting it was “time to leave him alone.”
During the proceedings, Werner, affiliated with the Arizona-based Alliance for Defending Freedom law firm, maintained that Phillips’ refusal stemmed from free speech protections and asserted that he did not deny service based on Scardina’s gender identity, but rather due to the message associated with the cake.
Phillips has stated that creating a cake for a gender transition was against his religious beliefs, affirming that he would have fulfilled any other cake or baked goods request not conflicting with his values.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
