Pastor Sues Whole Foods for Alleged Homophobic Slur on Cake

A Whole Foods employee is accused of inscribing the word "fag" on a cake ordered by a gay Pastor in Austin for his congregation, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

The lawsuit filed in Travis County, states Pastor Jordan Brown ordered a cake from the supermarket chain for his congregation and wanted the phrase "Love Wins" written upon it. The phrase is commonly affiliated with the fight for marriage equality on behalf of same-sex couples. After he picked up the cake, Brown claims he left the store, got in his car and drove away.

When he stopped at a red light, he looked down at the cake to discover the phrase, "Love Wins Fag" written on it.

The cake was in a box, sealed with a sticker and if the box had been opened and the cake tampered with, it would have been obvious, Brown's lawyers claimed in their suit.

After discovering the alleged slur, Brown called the store to complain, and he spoke to a Whole Foods leader who told him that he planned on firing whoever was responsible, reports Austin TV station, KXAN. The lawsuit claims Brown was originally offered a gift card and and a new cake, but two hours later, Whole Foods denied any wrong doing.

The supermarket released a statement Monday, responding to Brown's allegations:

"Our team member wrote 'Love Wins' at the top of the cake as requested by the guest, and that's exactly how the cake was packaged and sold at the store. Our team members do not accept or design bakery orders that include language or images that are offensive. Whole Foods Market has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination. We stand behind our bakery team member, who is part of the LGBTQ community, and the additional team members from the store, who confirmed the cake was decorated with only the message 'Love Wins.'"

At a press conference on Monday, Brown said, "Saying fag is the same as calling me a n--."

"As a pastor, I forgive her. I'm praying for her that she would have a change of heart," Brown said during the conference.

Brown's lawyers are suing Whole Foods for intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the lawsuit.

Watch Brown tell his version of the event in a YouTube video released by his law firm below.