The business owners of a local bakery have been awarded $36.59 million in damages by the college for false accusations of racism.
The college was found to have defamed a bakery after three black students were accused of stealing.
The discrimination claims caused emotional and financial pain to the family and the business, which had been a fixture in the community since 1885. When the trial began several years ago, her husband paused his cancer treatments, and died before he was paid. Her father-in-law died before the family was paid by the college.
The college's appeal was not heard by the Ohio Supreme Court.
The court's decision was disappointing. Our respect for the law and the integrity of our legal system isn't going to be affected by this. The end of the litigation is expected to begin the healing of the community.
Oberlin said that it had begun payment in full, representing the total damages awarded and interest, and that it was waiting for payment information from the people who had won the case.
If her family ever saw the money from Oberlin, she would not buy a house, go on vacation, or leave Ohio, but she would replace the fryers and proofers that we use for our dough.
If the money doesn't come through within the next couple months, I'll have to declare bankruptcy and close the doors of the store.
A clerk at a bakery refused to sell wine to a black student because he was trying to steal more bottles than he had paid for. Three black students and a clerk got into a fight after the shoplifter was caught.
The bakery was accused of discrimination by the students before the three students pled guilty to their crimes.
A school administrator at Oberlin helped hand out flyers during a protest about the bakery, Oberlin stopped doing business with the bakery, and the school Senate was allowed to issue a statement saying, "a black student was chased and assault at Gibson's after being accused of stealing..."
A lower court ruled that the school defamed the bakery by not stopping the discrimination claims and that the administrator who gave out flyers endorsed them.
The trial team and the Gibson family released a statement celebrating the supreme court's decision and accusing Oberlin of trying to confuse the relevant facts of the case.
The case was framed with claims that weren't on trial. This has never been about a student's rights. The statement said that people's reputations should not be sacrificed for free speech. The jury, a unanimous Ninth District Court of Appeals, and a majority of the Justices on the Ohio Supreme Court recognized that the conduct of Oberlin College could not be masked by claims of free speech.
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