After a legal battle spanning several years, Oberlin College has finally agreed to pay $36.59 million in damages to a local bakery for falsely accusing the business owners of racism.
Oberlin had repeatedly appealed a lower court ruling which found that the college, in 2016, defamed Gibson’s Bakery after a shoplifting incident involving three black students.
Lorna Gibson, the owner of the bakery, wrote about the emotional and financial pain the discrimination claims caused her family and the business, which had been a fixture in the community since 1885. David Gibson, her husband, paused his cancer treatments when the trial started several years ago, and died before Oberlin decided to pay the sum. Her father-in-law, Allyn Sr. also died several months before her family was paid by the college.
On August 30, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that it would not hear the college’s appeal.
“We are disappointed by the Court’s decision. However, this does not diminish our respect for the law and the integrity of our legal system. This matter has been painful for everyone. We hope that the end of the litigation will begin the healing of our entire community,” Oberlin said Thursday in a press release.
Oberlin added that it “has initiated payment in full,” representing the total damages awarded and interest, and that “is awaiting payment information from the plaintiffs.”
Gibson wrote on September 1 that if her family ever saw the money from Oberlin, she “wouldn’t buy a house,...
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