A record $31 million award to a mom and pop bakery that accused a liberal Ohio college of ruining its business with false accusations of racism has been upheld by a state appeals court.
Gibson's Bakery, a 135-year-old family business near the campus of Oberlin College, was initially awarded more than $40 million in punitive and compensatory damages in the aftermath of a 2016 incident in which the owner's son confronted three black Oberlin students who were stealing wine from the store. Although the suspects were arrested and later admitted they were shoplifting, the episode touched off school-sanctioned protests and accusations of racism that crippled the store's business.
"At trial, it was absolutely clear to the jury (as reflected by the verdict) that there was not a shred of truth in the vicious statements about the Gibsons and that the College caused the devastating harm," the law firm representing the Gibson family said after winning the case. "The truth prevailed."
The initial award by Lorain County Judge John Miraldi in 2019 was later reduced to $25 million plus $6 million in legal fees. In the latest development, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit unanimously upheld the award.
The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to take up an appeal of the multimillion dollar judgment against Oberlin College in a lawsuit in which Gibson's Bakery contended that it had been defamed by the educational institution, according to the Associated Press.
The Buckeye State Supreme Court's decision not to take up the appeal means that the lengthy legal battle appears to finally be coming to a close, and the school will have to shell out millions of dollars to the tune of $36 million.
