January 3, 2018
Page 3
INSIDE
The
Week in Review
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Adrienne C.
Nelson will be
the first African
American
to serve on
the Oregon
Supreme Court.
Her historical
appointment
was made
Tuesday by
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown.
M ETRO
page 9
History Making
1st African American named to supreme court
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
pages 7-11
Gov. Kate Brown announced
Tuesday that she will appoint
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Judge Adrienne C. Nelson to the
Oregon Supreme Court, the first
African American to serve on the
state’s highest court.
Brown called Nelson “a widely
respected civil rights champion,
whose perspective on the bench
will move us closer to a shared vi-
sion of justice for all.”
Nelson will bring “a new voice
and wealth of experience” gained
from her 12 years on the trial
bench,” Brown said.
“In addition to her work in the
courtroom, she has made extraor-
dinary strides to make the trial
bench more receptive to the needs
and experiences of diverse and
underserved communities in our
state,” the governor added.
Nelson will fill a vacancy cre-
ated by the retirement of Justice
Jack L. Landau. The appointment
is effective immediately.
Judge Nelson was appointed
to the Multnomah County circuit
court bench by Gov. Ted Kulon-
goski in 2006. She earlier worked
at Portland State University as a
senior attorney and coordinator
of Student Legal and Mediation
Services, from 2004 to 2006.
Prior to that, she worked at the
Portland firm Bennett, Hartman,
Morris and Kaplan, from 1999 to
2004.
Nelson began her legal career
c ontinueD on p age 14
Ruling Validates Equality Law
Labor
commissioner
wins case
against bakers
O PINION
C LASSIFIEDS
C ALENDAR
page 16
F OOD
pages 12-13
pages 14
page 15
Oregon Bureau of Labor and
Industries Commissioner Brad
Avakian says Oregon’s protec-
tions against discrimination in
public accommodations remain
strong after a higher court affirmed
a finding that an Oregon bakery
discriminated against a couple be-
cause they were Lesbians.
The Oregon Court of Appeals
last week upheld emotional dis-
tress damages for the same-sex
couple, which was denied ser-
vice by the Sweet Cakes bakery
in Gresham. The ruling affirms
the Oregon Bureau of Labor and
Industry’s finding that the owners
unlawfully discriminated against
Brad Avakian
the couple in violation of the Ore-
gon Equality Act of 2007 by deny-
ing them full and equal access to
a place of public accommodation.
The court affirmed both the
$135,000 in damages and the
underlining violation of the law
while rejecting BOLI’s finding
that the Klein’s public statements
represented an intent to unlawful-
ly discriminate in the future.
Under Oregon law, businesses
cannot refuse service based on
sexual orientation, just as they
cannot turn customers away be-
cause of race, sex, disability, age
or religion.
In response to the ruling, Com-
missioner Brad Avakian explained
that within Oregon’s public ac-
commodations law is the basic
principle of human decency that
every person, regardless of their
sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity, has the freedom to fully par-
ticipate in society.
“For the past 10 years, the Ore-
gon Equality Act of 2007 has pro-
tected Oregonians from unlawful
discrimination in housing, em-
ployment and public places. To-
day’s ruling sends a strong signal
that Oregon remains open to all,”
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