| Gibsons Bros., Inc. v. Oberlin College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | Ohio District Courts of Appeals, Ninth Judicial District |
| Full case name | Gibson Bros., Inc. v. Oberlin College |
| Decided | March 31, 2022 |
| Citation | 2022 Ohio 1079, 187 N.E.3d 629 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022) |
| Case history | |
| Appealed from | Court of Common Pleas, County of Lorain, Ohio; Case No. 17CV193761 |
| Appealed to | Supreme Court of Ohio: Jurisdiction declined, August 30, 2022 |
| Court membership | |
| Judges sitting | Donna Carr, Jennifer L. Hensal, and Betty Sutton |
| Case opinions | |
| Decision by | Carr, J. |
| Concurrence | Hensal and Sutton JJ. |
| Keywords | |
| Libel, Slander, Tortious interference | |
Gibson's Bakery v. Oberlin College was an Ohio legal case concerning libel, tortious interference, and infliction of distress. The case ultimately involved questions about the responsibilities of universities during student protests.
The case began in 2016 with an incident of shoplifting by a Black Oberlin College student at Gibson's Bakery and subsequent arrest of three Black students for assaulting a staff member. Students, faculty members and employees of Oberlin College protested against the bakery, alleging racism. The owners of the bakery sued Oberlin College, and Dean Meredith Raimondo in her individual capacity, for directly and indirectly supporting the protests, engaging in tortious interference of business, and for defaming the owners and employees. In 2019, a jury found in favor of Gibson's and awarded $44 million in compensatory and punitive damages (capped to $25 million due to state law), plus $6.5 million in legal fees.[1]
Upon appeal, in 2022 the Ninth District Court of Appeals upheld the verdict 3–0. The College sought review by the Supreme Court of Ohio; the court declined jurisdiction of the appeal. The College then agreed to pay the judgment and interest, now totaling $36.59 million.[2][3] In December 2022, Gibson's confirmed it had received the payment in full.[4]
- ^ Jacobson, William A. (July 17, 2019). "Gibson's Bakery awarded over $6.5 million in attorney's fees and expenses against Oberlin College". Legal Insurrection. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ "Oberlin College to pay $36.59M to bakery owners who claim they were falsely accused of racism". CNN. September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ "Oberlin College Initiates Payment of Awarded Damages in Gibson's Bakery case". Oberlin College and Conservatory. September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ DeNatale, Dave "Dino"; Buckingham, Lindsay (December 16, 2022). "Gibson's Bakery receives complete payment of $36.59 million from Oberlin College in defamation suit". WKYC.