Oberlin College - update

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In November 2017, Gibson's Bakery filed a civil complaint against Oberlin for libel, slander, interference with business relationships, and interference with contracts in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas. Gibson's argued that the college supported the protests that damaged its reputation and that the college unlawfully broke its contract with the bakery.[9] In the complaint, the Gibson family alleged that some Oberlin College professors attended the demonstrations, joined in the chants with a bullhorn, and gave course credit to students who skipped class to attend the demonstrations. It also claimed Oberlin employees distributed boycott flyers and allowed them to be photocopied for free on school machines.[6]

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2016 shoplifting incident
On Wednesday, November 9, 2016, an underage African-American Oberlin College student and Student Assistant Treasurer,[7] Jonathan Aladin (aka Elijah Aladin), attempted to purchase a bottle of wine using a fake identification card.[6] The store clerk, Allyn D. Gibson, a son and grandson of the owners,[4] rejected the fake ID. Gibson noticed that the student was concealing two other bottles of wine inside his jacket.[8][4] According to a police report, Gibson told the student he was contacting the police, and when Gibson pulled out his phone to take a photo of the student, the student slapped it away, striking Gibson's face.[9] The student ran out of the store. Gibson followed and then grabbed and held onto the shoplifter outside the store after the shoplifter had also assaulted the store owner, David Gibson.[4] Two other students, Cecelia Whettstone and Endia Lawrence, friends of the shoplifter, joined the scuffle.[4] When the police arrived, they witnessed Gibson lying on the ground with the three students punching and kicking him.[9] The police report stated that Gibson sustained a swollen lip, several cuts, and other minor injuries.[5][10] The police arrested the students, charging all three with assault and the shoplifter with robbery as well. In August 2017, the three students pleaded guilty, stating that they believed Gibson's actions were justified and were not racially motivated.[9][11][12] Their plea deals carried no jail time in exchange for restitution, the public statement, and a promise of future good behavior.[11][13]

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Gibson's Bakery v. Oberlin College is an Ohio legal case concerning libel, tortious interference and infliction of distress. The case began with an incident of shoplifting by an Oberlin College student at Gibson's Bakery, a local store. Following the arrests of three students related to the shoplifting incident, some students, faculty members, and employees of Oberlin College protested against the bakery, alleging racism. The case ultimately involved questions about the responsibilities of universities during student protests. Oberlin initiated financial sanctions against the bakery, while lending material support to protestors. Meredith Raimondo, a college administrator, took part in the protest, distributing a pamphlet alleging racism on the part of the bakery. In 2019, a jury found that the college had defamed the owner of Gibson's Bakery and his family, and awarded them millions of dollars in damages.

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Oberlin College is facing more than $4 million in interest after refusing to pay the $31.6 million fine an Ohio court awarded to Gibson’s Bakery, for libeling the business with false racism allegations. The Chronicle reports that Oberlin has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to issue an order stopping payment of the $36 million the family-owned bakery was awarded, while the liberal arts school appeals two lower court decisions. Oberlin was ordered to pay the bakery and its owners, the Gibson family, millions in damages after a jury found the college and one of its former vice presidents, Meredith Raimondo, libeled the family and its business and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on them. The jury also found that the school intentionally interfered with the bakery’s business, according to The Chronicle. The bakery’s attorneys asked Lorain County Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi to order the college to pay the judgment in a court filing on May 27, saying it failed to file a motion with the 9th District Court of Appeals to stop the process. The jury originally awarded the bakery and its owners $44 million, but Miraldi reduced the amount after reviewing applicable state law, according to The Chronicle. The news outlet reports that the monetary award now totals more than $36 million, including the $31.6 million in damages the bakery won in July 2019, plus interest, or approximately $4,300 per day for the 1,064 days since the decision.

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College endorsed slander and protests on a restaurant.

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