in

False Racism Allegations Lead to Ohio University Amassing Millions in Interest on Money Owed to Bakery

Close×

After refusing to pay a local family-run bakery in Ohio more than $30 million in libel damages in connection with bogus racial charges that were filed in 2016, Oberlin College in Ohio piled up more than $4 million in interest on the outstanding balance.

After students and a college administrator were found to be guilty of slandering the institution as "racist" after an argument with three Black students by a shop employee, Gibson's Bakery was granted $31.6 million in July 2019, bringing the total amount of compensation to $31.6 million. According to The Chronicle, the judgment is now worth more than $36 million as a result of the school accruing $4,300 every day in interest while it went unpaid for more than 1,000 days. As a result, the total amount of the judgment is now more than $36 million.

Allegations of racism that were not true and were propagated by a previous dean at the institution are to blame for the damages. In 2016, Allyn Gibson, the son and grandson of David Gibson and Allyn Gibson, who owned Gibson's Bakery and Food Mart, followed and attacked a Black Oberlin student who was accused of stealing wine bottles. David Gibson and Allyn Gibson owned the business.

Allegations of racial profiling were made as a result of the fact that two more black students at Oberlin College who were acquainted with the suspect were also engaged in the physical incident that occurred.

All three students are said to have been detained, and according to the paperwork filed in the case, they later pled guilty to misdemeanor charges and read statements in which they claimed that Gibson's actions were not motivated by racism.

The shoplifting incident, which took place one day after former President Donald Trump was elected president, generated considerable outrage from Oberlin students. The event also spurred accusations that the Gibson family targeted the students based on their race.

In 2017, Gibson's Bakery filed a lawsuit against Oberlin College, saying the college defamed them and caused financial injury to their company.

After student demonstrations in front of the bakery, the school administration decided to discontinue ordering meals from that establishment. According to Fox News Digital, the Oberlin College Student Senate also voted to approve a resolution condemning the proprietors of the bakery of racism. This resolution was then sent to the members of the school community.

According to the records filed in the case, Meredith Raimondo, vice president of Oberlin College and dean of students, was the one who distributed fliers saying that the bakery is a "RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION."

According to the records that were submitted to the court, college resources were also utilized to print the fliers, as well as buy food and other supplies for the demonstrators.

In the end, a jury decided that the school and Raimondo were guilty of libel. In addition, the jury ruled the college responsible of causing mental distress to the owner, David Gibson, who has since passed away, as well as inflicting emotional anguish to David Gibson's son. Both of these incidents occurred before David Gibson's death.

The jury had first decided that the bakery should get $44 million in damages; however, Lorain County Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi subsequently lowered the amount to $25 million. Oberlin was sentenced to pay the bakery an extra $6.5 million in legal expenses in 2019, according to the court's ruling.

After Oberlin College requested the Ohio Supreme Court to block the payment, the Gibson family is now requesting that Oberlin pay the whole $36 million, including the approximately $4 million in interest. This comes after the Gibson family first demanded that the payment be halted.

Late in the month of June, legal representatives for the bakery opposed Oberlin's motion to the Ohio Supreme Court to block the payment by filing paperwork with that court.

The attorneys reportedly said in a petition that was filed last month that the Gibsons have appropriately completed all process required to properly execute a jury's verdict and Judge Miraldi's 2019 decision. This information was obtained via The Chronicle.

The news source claims that it is currently unknown when the highest court in the state will hear both sides.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson from Oberlin College referred Fox News Digital to a webpage on the college's website that detailed the latest developments in the investigation into the incident. The most recent information to be added to the page is an announcement made by the school on June 1 stating that it had appealed the ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court in May and received support from various organizations, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Cable.

Written by Staff Reports

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Urgent Warning Signs that the Economy is on the Verge of Collapse

Another 40-Year High in Inflation