Brian Klawiter, the west Michigan auto mechanic who made
national news when he declared that he will deny service – or worse -- to gay
people, has not been a legally licensed mechanic in Michigan since October.
Todd Heywood, writing for Between The Lines, a
publication for LGBT readers, reported on Saturday that Klawiter is a scofflaw
who lacks a mechanics license from the state and also refuses to obtain a local business license.
The business owner earlier this month seized upon the national debate over
religious freedom vs. gay rights and found
himself at the center of a firestorm of
controversy. Since he first posted his views on Facebook, Klawiter
has become the focus of media stories nationwide and harsh criticism on social
media. He even received death threats.
According to Between The Lines, an analyst at the Secretary of
State’s Office, Fred Woodhams, said the mechanic's license expired in October
and has not been renewed. "Performing auto repair work as an unlicensed mechanic is a misdemeanor offense," Woodhams told Between The Lines by email.
The company, Dieseltec, also has not registered as a business in Grandville, a conservative town in west Michigan, in violation of local ordinances, according to MLive. Klawiter earlier this year told the Grandville City Council that
requiring a license violates his constitutional rights because it authorizes
city inspectors to enter his property without a warrant.
Woodhams said the original online post by Klawiter might
raise concerns. In that post Klawiter threatened to reassemble the vehicles of
customers who argued with him on gay rights, with bolts but without the accompanying nuts. The unlicensed mechanic
has since claimed that statement was not a threat, rather it was an allusion to
gay sex.
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