DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: At Oberlin, a Tipping Point.

In 2017, after taking a significant hit to their profits because of the protests, Gibson’s decided to hold Oberlin and its officials accountable for their kowtowing to student protestors. The bakery filed a civil lawsuit against the school (including Raimondo) for “libel, slander, interference with business relationships, interference with contracts, deceptive trade practices, infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring and trespass.” This week, a jury agreed with the bakery’s claim that the school and its officials had acted irresponsibly and awarded Gibson’s $11 million in damages (if you’re concerned about runaway tort judgments, this might seem like a disturbingly high number for a small bakery, but considering that Oberlin claimed Gibson’s was worth less than $35,000, it’s not surprising the jury responded with a large damage verdict).

During the trial, Gibson’s lawyer argued, “When a powerful institution says you’re racist, you’re doomed.” As anyone who has witnessed the mob mentality among campus progressive activists can attest, student mobs only thrive because administrators allow them to do so. With their courtroom victory in Ohio this week, the Gibson family put college officials across the country on notice that people unfairly victimized and libeled by campus activists are done acquiescing to the mob’s demands.

As Daniel McGraw of Legal Insurrection writes today, Oberlin “basically begged for mercy at punitive damages hearing today,” in a post headlined, “Oberlin College to Jury: We’re cash poor and big punitive award to Gibson’s Bakery will hurt students.”

Given that Toni Myers, Oberlin College’s Multicultural Resource Center Director was quoted as sending out a text that said, “After a year, I hope we rain fire and brimstone on that store,” I’m not at all sure how sympathetic the jury will be to Oberlin’s latest cri de coeur.