The Jury Has Spoken: Gibson's Bakery awarded maximum punitive damage award ($22 million +) against Oberlin College

Legal Insurrection: Jury awards the maximum punitive damage award allowed under Ohio law

May this decision hold up on appeal. I am glad the jury sent a clear message to Oberlin College (unfrotunately Oberlin probably won't learn anything from it). Still, an excellent outcome.

And especial thanks to Legal Insurrection for covering a story a lot of the media ignored.  Great work.

Update:  I misread that the jury actually awarded $33 million in punitive damages. That might not hold up under Ohio law and the judge could lower it to $22.4 million (which is double the underlying award). We will have to wait and see on that.

EBL: Gibson's Wins Against Oberlin College

740 KTRH: Interview with Professor Jacobson 

AoSHQ: Oberlin: Bake Me a $33 Million Cake, Bigots!

Hogewash: Gibson's v. Oblerin: Back at the Court House

Powerline: The Jury Hated Oberlin and Oberlin Hunkers Down

Hot Air: Oberlin's Lament: Hit with maximum allowed punitives

Toronto Blade: Jury awards more than $44 million to Gibson's Bakery

Victory Girls: Oberlin College gets a $33 million dollar lesson from an Ohio jury

Instapundit: No, The Jury Hated Oberlin, and Oberlin College hit with maximum punitive damage award allowed

TOM: Fire and Brimstone: Maximum Punitive Damages and Oberlin President says College's deficit is unsustainable (boo hoo)

Powerline: Will Oberlin Learn Its Lesson?

Oberlin's Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo at court

Meredith Raimondo when she was appointed Dean of Students

Kudos to the Legal Insurrection team for covering this lawsuit start to finish!

Legal Insurrection Prior Coverage

We had the most extensive coverage of this dispute and trial. Below are many (but not all) our prior posts, which serve as something of a historical record of this case.

Pre-Trial Posts:

• Bakery targeted by Oberlin College #BlackLivesMatter fights back 
• Oberlin College halted purchases from Gibson’s Bakery targeted by #BlackLivesMatter, but may reconsider
• Gibson’s Bakery sues Oberlin College over racial profiling accusations, Oberlin cuts business ties
• Oberlin College lashes out at Gibson’s Bakery, portrays itself as victim
• Court: Gibson’s Bakery lawsuit against Oberlin College can continue in full
• Oberlin College: We can’t get a fair trial in our home county
• Judge rejects Oberlin College request to move town-gown lawsuit to another county
• Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College — Trump 2016 win stoked student protests over shoplifting incident day after election
• Putting Social Justice Warfare on trial: Gibson’s Bakery lawsuit against Oberlin College heading to trial.

Trial Posts:

• Juror perceptions of reputation and social media emerge in questioning
• Opening Statements: Claims of War and Peace
• Trial Day 1 – “It was a mob mentality out there”
• Trial Day 2 – “I don’t know” may come back to haunt the defense
• Trial Day 3 – To “unleash the students” or not, that was the question
• Trial Day 4 – As protests grew, Mrs. Gibson was “very nervous and afraid”
• Trial Day 5 – 90-year-old Allyn W. Gibson testifies “some threats made to us”
• Trial Day 6 – What’s a bakery worth?
• Trial Day 7 — Damages Expert says Show Gibson’s The Money!
• Trial Day 8 — “my dad was going to pass away labeled as a racist”
• Trial Day 9 – “the business never came back”
• Defense motion for directed verdict DENIED, case going to the jury
• Alumni Weekend – Oblivious alums in for a shock if college loses
• Trial Day 10 – It depends upon what the meaning of the word “support” is
• Trial Day 11 – Don’t let them eat Gibson’s cake
• Trial Day 12 – Defense says Bakery worth only $35k, less than one semester at Oberlin College
• Trial Day 13 — Defense expert declares Gibson family 5-generation bakery history “irrelevant”
• Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College trial reflects Higher Ed disconnect from the lives of most Americans
• Judge keeps out politics, but Town v. Gown frames the case
• Verdict this week?
• Closing Argument: “When a powerful institution says you are racist, you are doomed”
• VERDICT: Jury awards Gibson’s Bakery $11 million against Oberlin College

Post-Verdict Posts

• The Internet Reacts to Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College Verdict
• EXCLUSIVE: Oberlin College insurer likely to reject coverage for Gibson Bakery $11 million verdict
• Oberlin College mass email criticizing Jurors could influence Punitive Damages Hearing in Gibson’s Bakery case
• Oberlin College’s identity crisis led to its Gibson’s Bakery train wreck
• What the media is getting wrong about Gibson’s Bakery libel verdict against Oberlin College
• On eve of punitive damages hearing, college plays victim

Punitive Damages Hearing Posts

• Punitive Damages Hearing – Judge Denies Attempt to use College Blast Email Criticizing Jury
• $11 Million Verdict for Gibson’s Bakery stands: Judge denies Oberlin College motion for a mistrial
• Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College: “The jury held accountable an unhinged progressive activist college …
• Oberlin College to Jury: We’re cash poor and big punitive award to Gibson’s Bakery will hurt students
• Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College – Punitive Damages VERDICT WATCH

AoSHQ: Morning Report 06.14.19