Bakery suing Oberlin College for libel wins $33M in damages

Oberlin College must pay an Ohio bakery $33.2 million in punitive damages after students boycotted the business over a racial profiling incident.

In November 2016, a black Oberlin student went to Gibson’s Bakery to try to purchase alcohol with a fake ID, The New York Times reported. A white employee, the grandson of the owner, chased the student outside and allegedly placed him in a chokehold.

Oberlin students protested the bakery, accusing the store of racism. They also successfully petitioned the school to ban the shop from supplying its cafeteria.

In November 2017, the bakery sued the college and its dean of students, Meredith Raimondo, for libel.

Bakery suing Oberlin College for libel wins $33M in damages

so not sure if any one remembers this one but it finally got a resolution 33 million in damages for the bakery owners ,attorney fees and apparently some extra added on top ,of note it did go over the allowed by state law cap on such things but the jury apparently wanted to send a message and send one they did. this seems to open other colleges up to comparable lawsuits in the future

“All the Gibsons ever wanted was for the truth to come out,” Lee Plakas, the Gibson family attorney, said, according to The Chronicle-Telegram after the initial ruling. “All they ever asked from the beginning, from Oberlin College, was to use its power and influence and might to tell the truth, and that letter never came," Plakas continued. "But the jury sent the letter that was louder and more visible and more public. I think the Gibson family is grateful for that and grateful for the jury to have the courage to be able to send a letter that no one else would send for the last almost three years.”

from main source so this all took 3 years to get finished and the bakery is apprently one of the only ones in town and has been in service since roughly the 1850s if my memory serves me

www.foxnews.com... fox w the slightly more attacky article does give a bit more details

Oberlin Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo coordinated a protest with other deans, professors, and students in front of the store. They handed out hundreds of copies of a flier that accused the store’s owners of racially profiling and discriminating against the black students. “This is a RACIST establishment,” the flier read, “with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION. DON’T BUY.

so that seems to be the crux of the libel issue and with all the suspects involved pleading guilty and saying it was not a racially motivated incident probably hurt the colleges case eventually

www.forbes.com...# a27264534bcb one more link from forbes they take a slightly more fearfull look at the issue as the following snippet will show

Some of Oberlin’s defenses are dodgy. It claims, for example, that calling Gibson’s “racist” or claiming that Gibson’s has a long history of racial profiling are mere opinions and, therefore, can’t possibly be libelous. It is difficult to think of a more harmful accusation against a business today than accusations of racism and the court rightly rejected that argument. Perhaps in another context that claim might make sense, but calling Gibson’s racist and accusing it of engaging in racial profiling right after the incident with the three students is clearly accusing it of specific wrong-doing. However, Oberlin’s most important defense is far more meritorious. (I should disclose here that I am an Oberlin alum.) The college should not be held legally responsible for statements made by students or faculty who are not speaking for the college as a whole. It is extremely dangerous to expect a college to censor its students, staff or faculty, especially about an important issue such as racism. Punishing the college with huge economic sanctions for a student protest or a student senate resolution does exactly that. This verdict, if it isn’t reversed by an appellate court, provides a powerful incentive for universities to punish and restrict controversial speech.

so guess we see where the appeal goes but not looking good for Oberlin's at the moment . what say ye ATS good or bad?

edit to add i guess their insurance company isnt wanting to cover the bulk of the fees according to this but im far from insurance smart

www.scribd.com... its a 47 page pdf so wont quote

I’m not surprised this occurred. Just look at what happens when a gun carrying criminal is shot and killed by police. Mass riots, because they were a “good boy”.

What a pleasant way to say the Race card is dead. Treat each situation for the facts not the skin color. We simply have to do as Dr King said and look at content of character only.

originally posted by: RandomPerson
I’m not surprised this occurred. Just look at what happens when a gun carrying criminal is shot and killed by police. Mass riots, because they were a “good boy”.

And that one was in the thugs own front yard. He apparently rammed a Federal Marshall vehicle and climbed out like Al Capone.

People in that community were blaming the LEO's who have many Black Officers in those photo's for the deaths of other criminals. They have to look inward and not at the LEO's. I lived south of there as a child and there were plenty of real crimes going on then. Didn't have a color preference but there are a lot of black people in Memphis and you can't arrest non blacks if they aren't there doing the crime.

www.commercialappeal.com... -had/2804077002/

It is people being people who happen to be black on both sides, often in Memphis.

a reply to: Justoneman

tried to google largest lawsuit against a college ever got and couldnt find much over 10 million before this one so this seems to be way above the average pay out to the bakery over pretty much exactly what you said race card excuse denied and healthy amounts of libel

In November 2016, a black Oberlin student went to Gibson’s Bakery to try to purchase alcohol with a fake ID, The New York Times reported

Boycotted when the student illegally tried to buy alcohol.

It doesn't matter what the effing color of skin is.

Stupid college students.

a reply to: neo96

That was the story they reported but what really happened is they were stealing from the store which didn't get reported.

Then the damn college dragged their feet in clearing the stores' name in fact I don't think they ever released the truth. I say it serves the damn college right to get hit with such a suite. They claim they were not part of the protest but they didn't do their job in exposing the truth which they claimed they would with an investigation.

Seeing stories like these warms the cockles of my heart.

Not only was financial retribution given, the character of the innocent was solidified and the character of the accuser was exposed.

a reply to: Grimpachi

The school’s faculty actively organized the protest and handed out hundreds of fliers. This is a clear case of libel and since the university’s staff organized and participated in spreading lies they got what they deserved.

Stuff like this happens disproportionately at bakeries .

Why do liberals eyes glaze over with anger when they see one .

It should be the yeast of their problem .

They created a real life fantasy. Almost made everyone believe it. That's a very good art school right there. If I was the judge I would have also ordered them to display the court verdict on the walls of the classrooms. A reminder to leave their crayons and play-doh at school.

However, Oberlin’s most important defense is far more meritorious. (I should disclose here that I am an Oberlin alum.) The college should not be held legally responsible for statements made by students or faculty who are not speaking for the college as a whole. It is extremely dangerous to expect a college to censor its students, staff or faculty, especially about an important issue such as racism. Punishing the college with huge economic sanctions for a student protest or a student senate resolution does exactly that. This verdict, if it isn’t reversed by an appellate court, provides a powerful incentive for universities to punish and restrict controversial speech.

I've never been to Oberlin or have seen its recruitment and campus life information; but if I assume Oberlin is unremarkable compared to the countess colleges where I have seen recruitment information or witnessed how the schools took credit for their campus life; than I would have to disagree with this defense.

Colleges aren't education factories; you don't just put down your plum nickel on the counter, they impart the knowledge of your chosen field, and then you walk away. College's pride themselves on a rich involvement in the shaping of their student body; it is quite litterly how they differentiate them selves from other colleges with in their price stratos. For them to turn around now, after that influence was misused, and say they have no culpability is dishonest and quite frankly dangerous.

As for the faculty; any other employer would take great pains to curb the actions of its employees they find might be damaging to their business. They do not simply through their hands up and say "not my problem". Why do colleges think they should act differently.

originally posted by: Fallingdown
Stuff like this happens disproportionately at bakeries .

Why do liberals eyes glaze over with anger when they see one .

It should be the yeast of their problem .

I know. Complaints like these really take the cake.

That's a lotta dough.

I would have liked to see a zero added at the end of that settlement, for the outright hostilitiy and overt nastiness that was directed at the small business. You have almost a $1 billion institution pushing around a small family owned company and they are also using their authority position to reinforce the negative stereotype that pressing charges against blacks is "wacist". REally $33 is a small slap on the wrist to these people, especially when you look at the donors who will make sure this type of thing doesn't "hurt" as much. I really think this judgement should have been MUCH higher, to maybe the tune of 1/2 the endowment of Oberlin.

I would have liked to see a zero added at the end of that settlement, for the outright hostilitiy and overt nastiness that was directed at the small business. You have almost a $1 billion institution pushing around a small family owned company and they are also using their authority position to reinforce the negative stereotype that pressing charges against blacks is "wacist". REally $33 is a small slap on the wrist to these people, especially when you look at the donors who will make sure this type of thing doesn't "hurt" as much. I really think this judgement should have been MUCH higher, to maybe the tune of 1/2 the endowment of Oberlin.

a reply to: ganjoa

Liberals are to kneady , bakery owners deserve butter .




Seriously, I hoped this would check the anger coming from liberal college administrators .

But who am I kidding?

It’s not going to change a damn thing .

The bakery does not have to accept a fake ID from a person of color. I do not know what happened with the chokehold but I suppose the guy was pulling the black card and trying to force the guy to sell him alcohol. It worked, the black guy got the school to destroy the reputation of the bakery with false allogations. but now the bakery won the lawsuit, I am glad they did. The school employees should not have gotten involved with this, they should have tried to talk the students out of picketing and visited the place to get the real scoop before helping organize the chaos.

I hope that many more places sue people trying to start chaos which is based on fake information. I have seen businesses do everything right and please customers for years, then comes along one dissatisfied customer that twists everything out of proportion and it really hurts that business.

Legal Insurrection Blog has been covering this extensively since the issue first cropped up, pre- and during and now post-trial. The link I put up has a post with an full set of their links to all postings on the matter if you want a thorough understanding of it from the legal side.

Bahahaha

GET WOKE

GO BROKE


HAHAHAHA