Following a failed appeal, Ohio’s Oberlin College is finally set to pay $36.6 million in damages that the courts have awarded to a local bakery in a defamation case.
In a Sept. 9 statement, Oberlin announced that it had “initiated” payments to Gibson’s Bakery, a 137-year-old, fifth-generation family business that was wrongfully accused of racial profiling after a shoplifting incident involving black students.
In April, an Ohio appeals court upheld a jury’s finding that the college, in its handling of student protests over the 2016 incident, committed libel, slander, and interference with business relationships against the bakery. On Aug. 30, the Ohio Supreme Court decided to not hear Oberlin’s final appeal, bringing an end to the long-running legal battle.
“We are disappointed by the Court’s decision. However, this does not diminish our respect for the law and the integrity of our legal system,” Oberlin officials said. “This matter has been painful for everyone. We hope that the end of the litigation will begin the healing of our entire community.