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In a legal case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a flower shop owner in Richland, Washington, has finally settled with the ACLU — representing the same-sex couple for whom she refused to provide wedding flowers due to her Christian beliefs.

Barronelle Stutzman, 77, owner of Arlene鈥檚 Flowers in Richland, tells Dori Monson Show listeners that she wishes 鈥渢he best鈥� to Robert Ingersoll. In the settlement, Stutzman agreed to pay Ingersoll $5,000. According to her attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, the agreement allows Stutzman to 鈥減reserve her conscience鈥� by not forcing her to act against her Southern Baptist faith.

After her previous 10-year business relationship selling flowers to Ingersoll, Dori told listeners, it was clear that she 鈥渉ad no problem with the fact that he was gay.鈥� Providing flowers for the wedding, however, 鈥渨as a fundamental violation of one of your deep-held beliefs 鈥� one line that she could not cross.鈥�

Stutzman describes how the polarizing case started eight years ago, when Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the ACLU heard about the situation via Facebook and pulled it into the courts.

Through appeals, the Arlene鈥檚 Flowers case went to the state Supreme Court and then the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2018, the high court vacated the state鈥檚 ruling and sent it back for another review. In 2019, Washington鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled that the state courts did not act with animosity toward religion 鈥� and stood by its ruling that Stutzman broke anti-discrimination laws.

In another attempt to get the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a petition for review in 2019.

Ferguson 鈥渃an spend millions of dollars because it鈥檚 just the taxpayers鈥� money,鈥� Dori says, calling it frightening to 鈥済o up against someone who can outspend you 1,000 to 1.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about me,鈥� Stutzman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about each and every one of us. 鈥� They want to make me an example so nobody else will take up the fight.鈥�

If it hadn鈥檛 been for the Alliance Defending Freedom taking her case pro bono, she adds, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what we would have done. … There is a cost for our freedoms, but there is a greater cost if we don鈥檛 stand up.鈥�

With the settlement behind her, what鈥檚 ahead for Stutzman?

鈥淚鈥檓 77 now,鈥� Stutzman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to retire and get back to normal — whatever normal is.鈥�

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.