Tastries Bakery Owner Cathy Miller Faces Ongoing Legal Battle Over Religious Freedom
The California Supreme Court declined to protect the religious freedom of Tastries Bakery owner Cathy Miller on Wednesday, setting the stage for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of California Department of Civil Rights v. Tastries. The decision follows a nearly decade-long legal battle sparked when Miller, a devout Christian and custom cake artist, respectfully declined to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple due to her religious beliefs about marriage.
Cathy Miller, who has operated Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, California, for over ten years, is known for her unique approach to wedding cake design. A former teacher, Miller spends over an hour with each couple, explaining the religious and symbolic significance of their custom cake. However, in 2017, the California Civil Rights Department launched an investigation after Miller explained to a same-sex couple that her faith prevented her from personally designing their wedding cake. She offered to connect them with another baker, but the state accused her of violating anti-discrimination laws, claiming her actions harmed “the dignity of all Californians.”
The backlash was swift and severe. Tastries Bakery faced a barrage of angry social media posts, death threats, and harassing emails and phone calls. In February 2025, a California appeals court ruled against Miller, prompting her legal team—consisting of Becket, LiMandri & Jonna LLP, and the Thomas More Society—to appeal to the California Supreme Court. With the state’s highest court now refusing to hear the case, Miller’s attorneys are preparing to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“As the United States Supreme Court has made clear twice already, creative professionals like Cathy Miller shouldn’t have to choose between following their faith and practicing their art,” said Adèle Keim, senior counsel at Becket. “California should have dropped its campaign against Cathy years ago and let her design in peace. We plan to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court to defend Cathy’s right to make custom creations that are consistent with her faith.”
To maintain consistency with her Christian beliefs, Miller established written design standards for Tastries Bakery. These guidelines prohibit custom designs that depict gory or pornographic images, celebrate drug use, demean others, or conflict with the Christian understanding of marriage. Despite her efforts to operate her business respectfully and in alignment with her faith, the state has pursued legal action against her for nearly a decade.
“Cathy has always been clear that she was only trying to follow her faith and her conscience in standing up for what she believes in—and did so in a respectful, polite, and loving way,” said Charles LiMandri, Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP and Special Counsel for the Thomas More Society. “While it is disappointing the California Supreme Court has refused to correct the injustice Cathy has endured, we hope the U.S. Supreme Court will chart a different path and restore Cathy’s religious liberty.”
Miller’s legal team remains optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold her right to create art consistent with her beliefs, building on precedents set in cases involving creative professionals and religious freedom. The case highlights ongoing tensions between anti-discrimination laws and First Amendment protections for free speech and religious expression.
