Blade: Oberlin libel trial rattles community, raises questions about free speech

[China]

Oberlin libel trial rattles community, raises questions about free speech

 

OBERLIN, Ohio — The city of Oberlin is quiet this time of year — its population of 8,200 ebbs and flows in tune with the Oberlin College school year, shrinking by 2,800 when the liberal arts college’s students leave campus for the summer.

 

But even in Oberlin’s quiet season, the nation has felt reverberations from the small city, now home to a high-profile legal case that awarded family-run Gibson’s Bakery $44 million — with punitive damages set at $33 million on top of an existing $11 million compensatory award — against Oberlin College this week.

 

The Gibson family sued the college following student protests and a boycott of the shop sparked by a Nov. 9, 2016, incident in which a black college student attempted to shoplift wine from their shop. The student and two friends, also black, faced arrest after an employee and grandson of the store’s owner — who is white — followed the student out of the shop and a physical altercation occurred.

 

Protests erupted outside the bakery in the days following, claiming that the robbery charge and subsequent conflict were racially motivated and that Gibson’s had a history of racially profiling its customers. During the protests, students distributed printed flyers that labeled the store as a “RACIST establishment with a long account of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION” and provided a list of alternate shopping locations. Following the unrest, the college temporarily suspended its daily bakery order from Gibson’s for two months.

 

The three arrested students later pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and said they did not believe the Nov. 9 incident was racially motivated.

 

The family’s lawsuit alleged libel and accused Oberlin College of supporting the students’ harmful actions and cutting economic ties with the bakery.

 

The $11 million compensatory damages accounted for the Gibsons’ past and future economic and noneconomic harm and loss. The $33.2 million in punitive damages were set to punish Oberlin, but also to deter future conduct by the college and similar institutions.

 

“[The jury] vindicated us. They dispensed of any notion of past history of racism and current racism. Never has been the case, never will be the case for our family and our business. That’s the most important part in our minds,” David Gibson told the Blade after the verdict.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[Destino]

Perhaps I missed it, but did this article cover exactly what the jury felt left the college liable?  It says the jury found they supported the students actions.  Supported how exactly, and by which employees of the college?  That seems significant.  

[PeterMP]

2 hours ago, Destino said:

Perhaps I missed it, but did this article cover exactly what the jury felt left the college liable?  It says the jury found they supported the students actions.  Supported how exactly, and by which employees of the college?  That seems significant.  

 

The bakery has claimed that college employees were involved in organizing some of the protests and the like.  In addition, they cancelled their contracts with the bakery, which signaled that the bakery was at fault.

 

"Oberlin College staff -- including deans and professors -- and students engaged in demonstrations in front of Gibson's Bakery following the arrests of the three students, the lawsuit stated.

 

The suit also said Oberlin Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo and other college staff members "handed out hundreds of copies" of a flier to the community and the media stating that Gibson's Bakery and its owners racially profiled and discriminated against the three students."

 

Not sure how you separate their actions as individuals from their function as employees, and a private institutions right to decide who to do business with.

 

Oberlin essentially denies it:

 

"Neither Oberlin College nor Dean Meredith Raimondo defamed a local business or its owners, and they never endorsed statements made by others. Rather, the College and Dr. Raimondo worked to ensure that students' freedom of speech was protected and that the student demonstrations were safe and lawful, and they attempted to help the plaintiffs repair any harm caused by the student's protests."

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/09/us/oberlin-college-bakery-lawsuit/index.html

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

How I feel about this situation is directly related to how delectable their baked goods are.  I need to investigate.

[Larry]

3 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

How I feel about this situation is directly related to how delectable their baked goods are.  I need to investigate.

 

I'm sure the cops did a thorough investigation. 

[twa]

for any wanting in depth info on it

 

https://legalinsurrection.com/

[sportjunkie07]

44 million dollars.. what kind of idiot thought that was a good amount. 

[twa]

1 minute ago, sportjunkie07 said:

44 million dollars.. what kind of idiot thought that was a good amount. 

 

it will be reduced due to tort limits....juries need reigning in at times

[sportjunkie07]

Just now, twa said:

 

it will be reduced due to tort limits....juries need reigning in at times

Yeah I saw that. Still though. 10 million dollars to the family? What kind of donut shop are they running. 

[twa]

4 minutes ago, sportjunkie07 said:

Yeah I saw that. Still though. 10 million dollars to the family? What kind of donut shop are they running. 

 

one that doesn't deserve to be labeled racist and driven out of business.

[Riggo-toni]

Reminds me of when Sharpton organized boycotts of Korean grocers in NYC after one of them caught a woman shoplifting. Ah, the glory days of David Dinkins....

[JCB]

As an Oberlin alum I can attest that Gibson's baked goods are ****ing delicious!

[Larry]

6 hours ago, sportjunkie07 said:

44 million dollars.. what kind of idiot thought that was a good amount. 

 

12 randomly-selected people who unanimously agreed that that was how much it needs to be, for the defendant to notice.  

 

6 hours ago, twa said:

 

it will be reduced due to tort limits....juries need reigning in at times

 

Like whenever they actually make a rich defendant feel punished for it's actions.  

 

[Elessar78]

2 hours ago, JCB said:

As an Oberlin alum I can attest that Gibson's baked goods are ****ing delicious!

 

[The Evil Genius]

Also according to court documents, the college purchased pizzas for the protests and authorized the use of student funds to purchase gloves for protestors. 

 

Hard to see how these protests weren't supported by the college. 

 

Oberlin likely got what it deserved for wrongly supporting the protest. A protest built on an incorrect premise to begin with