Oberlin College, known as a hub for progressive politics, said Thursday it had received false accusations of defamation and racism after a worker caught shoplifting a black student, giving $36.59 million to a local bakery. announced that it would pay
A 2016 dispute with Gibsons Bakery led to a years-long legal battle that reverberated beyond the small college town of Ohio, threatening criminal justice, race, free speech, and university accountability to students. erupted into a bitter national debate over whether the
The decision by the university’s board of directors, announced Thursday, came nine days after the Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear the university’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling.
Gibson family attorney Lee E. Plakas said in an email on Thursday, “Truth matters. David, supported by a principled community, can beat Goliath.”
“This issue was painful for everyone,” Oberlin said in a statement. He added, “We hope that the conclusion of the lawsuit will begin the healing of our entire community.
The university acknowledged that the scale of the judgment, including damages and interest, was “significant.” “You can pay without it.” Oberlin has a solid endowment of nearly $1 billion.
The case hinged on whether Oberlin officials defamed the bakery by aiding students who accused the company of racial profiling. By essentially recognizing that officials did so, the ruling could make other colleges and universities think twice about participating in student causes, legal experts said. .
“Gifts of this size are sure to draw attention to institutions across the country, making them very aware of the difference between helping students and participating in a cause,” said Neil Hutchens, a professor of higher education at the University of Kentucky. I will be able to do it,” he said. “It didn’t matter so much what the students said. It’s the institution that uncritically accepts that statement. Sometimes we have to take a step back.”
Professor Hutchens said it also made a difference that Gibsons is a small, family-owned business, rather than a large multinational corporation like Walmart or Amazon.
Oberlin is a small liberal arts college that produces outstanding students in the arts and humanities and has a reputation for its progressive politics. Its history was not only a stop on the Underground Railroad, but also one of the first college he. Accept black students. Oberlin’s tuition fees are over $61,000 per year and the total cost of attendance is over $80,000 per year. The university is also part of the town and is financially dependent on the school and its students. A bakery across from the university sold donuts and chocolates and was considered a staple of the Oberlin dining experience.
The controversial incident began in November 2016 when a student He tried to buy wine with fake ID, but then stole two more bottles of wine hidden under his coat, according to court documents.
The owner’s son and grandson, Allyn Gibson, a white man, drove the students into the street, where two of his friends, also black students from Oberlin, joined the brawl. The students have since pleaded guilty to various charges.
The altercation led to two days of protests. Hundreds of students gathered in front of the bakery to accuse it of racially profiling its customers, according to court documents.
The lawsuit filed by Gibsons alleges Oberlin defamed the bakery when Dean of Students Meredith Raimond and other members of the government took part in the controversy by participating in the protest. Bakery, and said it was a “racist establishment with a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.”
Gibson’s also said that Oberlin would stop ordering from the bakery, but that the business would be closed if the charges against the three students were dropped, or if the bakery gave special treatment to students accused of shoplifting. I presented testimony that I had offered to reopen, but it was rejected.
The store said the university’s stance alienated customers for fear of being seen as endorsing an institution the university accused of being racist.
Oberlin disputed several aspects of that account, countering that students were exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech. He said the regime was just trying to keep the peace. University court documents said Allyn Gibson was trained in martial arts and brought public criticism to the store by kicking the students out of the store and exposing them to the public eye.
In the spring, a three-member Ohio Court of Appeals panel ruled after a six-week trial that Oberlin was guilty of defamation, willful infliction of emotional distress, and willful interference with business relationships. Confirmed jury certification. By taking the side of the protesters, you have effectively defamed your business. The original jury award was even higher, $44 million in punitive and compensatory damages, but was reduced by the judge. The latest amounts consist of approximately $5 million in compensatory damages, approximately $20 million in punitive damages, approximately $6.5 million in attorneys’ fees, and approximately $5 million in interest.
In its ruling, the appeals court agreed that the student had the right to appeal. But the court said the leaflets and related student Senate resolutions — which said the store had a history of racial profiling — were not constitutionally protected opinions.
After a jury awarded damages in June 2019, Plakas said in an interview, “My message to other universities is to have the gut fortitude to grow up in the room.” Told.
After the 2019 Jury Prize for Oberlin, the university’s president, Carmen Twillie Ambar, said the case was far from over, adding: “This does not shake us from our core values.” said. The university said at the time that the bakery’s “traditional track and detention policy for suspected shoplifters sparked the protests.”
But Oberlin hinted in a statement Thursday that the protracted and fierce battle had weakened ties with people and businesses in the surrounding area.
“We value our relationship with the city of Oberlin,” the statement said. “And we look forward to continuing our support and partnerships with local businesses as we work together to help our city thrive.”
Sheila McNeil When Jack Begg Contributed to research.