Posted on 06/28/2019 5:34:35 PM PDT by jeannineinsd
Gibson’s Bakery Attorneys at TPM address misleading statements made by Oberlin College OBERLIN, OHIO: An Ohio jury recently sent a clear message in the case of Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College: The truth still matters.
After an intense trial that lasted nearly six weeks, the 134-year-old family bakery was awarded $33.2 million in punitive damages in addition to $11 million in compensatory damages. But despite the jury’s verdicts against Oberlin College and its Vice President and Dean of Students on libel, tortious interference with business relationships and intentional infliction of emotional distress, officials at Oberlin College continue to propagate a narrative that the case is an issue of free speech.
To bring further light to the testimony heard by the jury, attorneys representing the Gibson family have published a list of frequently asked questions outlining the arguments and evidence presented at trial. The 56-page document, containing court exhibits and trial transcripts, is available at www.lawlion.com.
“In the wake of the national attention the verdict has received, we believe the public has a right to know the facts of this case as they were presented to the jury,” said Lee Plakas, managing partner of Tzangas Plakas Mannos Ltd. “When forming an opinion on this case, it is important to rely solely on the facts. The evidence presented to the jury speaks for itself.”
The record-setting judgment has attracted national attention. It stems from events that occurred in November 2016, when three black Oberlin College students were arrested following a shoplifting incident at Gibson’s Bakery. The next day, protesters descended on the small family-owned store claiming the arrests were a result of racial profiling. In a protest comprised of Oberlin students, with evidence of involvement by faculty and administrators, the Gibsons were publicly shamed as racists with a longstanding history of discrimination. And a boycott was called for Gibson’s Bakery.
The jury was presented with substantial evidence that Oberlin College aided students in the dissemination of defamatory materials and ordered the suspension of a more than 100-year-old business relationship. In court, the college presented no evidence of racial profiling or discrimination by Gibson’s Bakery. Additionally, the students involved in the shoplifting incident confessed to their crimes and admitted the arrests were not racially motivated.
The jury also heard evidence that the college clearly acted in ways that went far beyond ensuring a safe environment for protesters. This included passing out flyers that the Court determined to be libelous per se, issuing instructions through a bullhorn, purchasing gloves, refreshments, and food for the protesters, suggesting college facilities for protesters to print flyers, and allowing a defamatory student senate resolution to remain posted in the student union for more than a year.
“The recent efforts of Oberlin College and President Carmen Twillie Ambar to reframe this case as a First Amendment issue, while undermining the jury’s decision, should be incredibly concerning to us all,” said Plakas. “Even after the jury’s verdict, the college refuses to take responsibility for its actions.”
The Gibson family’s legal team included TPM Attorney Lee E. Plakas serving as lead counsel and Attorneys Brandon W. McHugh and Jeananne M. Ayoub serving as trial counsel
Therein lies the rub. A college is inanimate. It has no opinion and cannot be responsible for anything. People take action, and people must be held responsible. Inasmuch as people used the institution and acted in their roles as administrators then the institution should be ordered to pay at least some of the restitution. But the administrators, staff, faculty et al face no personal risk for their actions - not even their jobs. It is not their money. They are insulated. That is wrong. People libel each other, people slander each other, people need to be accountable to their actions.
Moreover, the people involved used the weight of the institution to bully others unjustly. They did not act in their capacity as individuals, they commandeered the college's resources and staked its reputation for their individual motivations. They hid behind the college rather than stake their own personal reputations. The college should sue the staff and administrators involved in these actions for restitution.
Inject this case into my veins.
Tried to find a link for the 56 page FAQ of the Bakery, but it is not posted at www.lawlion.com.
The bakery should give those “students” free cookies and cakes. Laced with cyanide.
Why doesn’t anyone ever go to prison?
It's a PDF download:
www.lawlion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/FAQs-re-Gibsons-Bakery-v.-Oberlin-College.pdf
It is a PDF here:
http://www.lawlion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/FAQs-re-Gibsons-Bakery-v.-Oberlin-College.pdf
Because both State and Federal government are generally a part of this leftist oppression.
That is why it is usually civil lawsuit or nothing - and why Judicial Watch does the work of the DOJ.
Key bit from the document:
Prior to the events of November 2016, Oberlin College was dealing with its own tumultuous environment. In December 2015, African American students sent President Marvin Krislov and others at the College a 14-page list of demands, within which it accused Oberlin College of functioning “on the premises of imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism, ableism, and a cissexist heteropatriarchy.” [Trial Exhibit 257].8 President Krislov’s response was not enough for some students, ...
***
So the Dean was worried about getting fired — we’ve seen that at other colleges.
Using the bakery, they decided to be ‘woke’ and play the race card. Backfired.
Worth a read. Amazing these ‘educators’ spent their time and university resources to try to drive someone out of business.
The college asked the bakery to let ‘first-time offender shoplifters’ go. The shoplifters later plead guilty.
Loved reading the details. College was found guilty of libel and dug their own grave. Couldn’t have happened to a nastier bunch of pricks. They still think they’re above the law.
“The printouts of the electronic communication are devastating to Oberlin College.”
Good.
Oberlein College is the reason we must never surrender our guns.
The day is quickly coming where the only defense against people lke them is to kill them. The legal aystem is rapidly decling. The judgement will be appealed ad infinitum and never paid.
“That Bakery must be closed for business by now,”
Nope. I saw the family interviewed a couple weeks ago. They had a long rough patch, and took no salaries for two (IIRC) years, but have stayed in business. I felt so sorry for them. Just living their lives, doing the right thing, defending their business from being robbed as everyone has the right to do, and then have insane, evil libs pig-pile on them. Outrageous!
It used to be that most Americans had a baseline of some common decency. How did that get lost?
“<><> one email discussed a solution be found outside the legal system.”
Oh, that’s very extreme ans disturbing. It conjures up visions of hit men and/or arsonists.
My thoughts exactly......those vicious email exchanges of the Oberlin Dean sould like she’s Mafioso.
I support the Gibson’s 100%, and I cannot believe Raymond hasn’t been fired yet.
But I think the “outside the legal system” quotes refer to the College’s wish that shoplifters when caught be referred back to the College rather than the police.
Unreasonable, and evidence of a guilty state of mind - but not quite Sopranos territory.
“But I think the “outside the legal system” quotes refer to the College’s wish that shoplifters when caught be referred back to the College rather than the police.”
Maybe. Maybe I’ve seen “Goodfellas” too many times.
And why, on God’s green earth, would actual criminals NOT be dealt with by police? Why should/would the college presume to have any right to handle this? If the shoplifters are over 18, then they’re common criminals and need to be prosecuted by the justice system.
So Oberlin could have a 50 million dollar exposure, they could offer the plaintiffs 25 million today and no legal fees and it would still be a good strategy.
I understand and appreciate your point, but the plaintiffs at this point have a very strong position relative to Oberlin. Oberlin should settle, even if that might look more like a surrender.
I recall a statement by the police. Statistics over the years show Oberlin to be a nest of shoplifters. The thugs that got caught shoplifting Gibson’s had snatched a $100 bottle of wine.
Hey, they were just doing a little informal wealth redistribution, who are YOU, or me, or the police, or the jury, or the wider community to judge THEM?
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