Something old, something new in the eyes of the law. Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

A bakery in suburban Portland, Ore., violated the civil rights of a same-sex couple by refusing to bake a cake for the women's wedding, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries said Friday evening.

Investigators found substantial evidence that the bakery, Sweet Cakes by Melissa, unlawfully discriminated against the couple on the basis of their sexual orientation, agency spokesman Charlie Burr said.

The couple — Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman of Portland — said they were denied a wedding cake last January by the bakery's owners, Aaron and Melissa Klein. The women, who The Oregonian newspaper said were in a domestic partnership, filed a complaint with the state.

The state will now oversee a conciliation process to see if the parties can reach a settlement, The Oregonian reported. If not, the labor bureau may pursue charges before an administrative law judge.

Oregon law bars discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in jobs and in places that serve the public, such as restaurants and bakeries.

State law provides an exemption for religious organizations and parochial schools but does not allow private business owners to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.