Oberlin College Pays Bakery $36.6M After Years-Long Court Battle

A bakery in Ohio got quite the payout from Oberlin College after the school failed to overturn a ruling that they had defamed the small business by levying false allegations of racism.

An Oberlin College spokesperson told Cleveland's Fox 8 that the school had paid Gibson's Bakery and Food mart the $36.6 million they were owed. That figure includes damages, legal fees, and interest.

The bakery's lawyer confirmed that they had received the payment.

Gibson's Bakery and Food Mart gained attention in 2016 after two of the bakery's employees chased and tackled a black Oberlin College student they had suspected of stealing a bottle of wine. Two students got involved and were eventually all charged with misdemeanors.

Other Oberlin students started protesting outside the bakery and soon some school officials joined. Former Oberlin College vice president and dean of students Meredith Raimondo handed out flyers during the protests that accused the bakery of a long history of racial profiling and discrimination.

Raimondo left the school in 2021 to take a new gig at Oglethorpe University in Georgia.

Memorial Arch at Oberlin College, a school that's pockets are more than $36 million lighter today. (Getty Images)

Oberlin Appealed The Original Ruling

Gibson's accused the school of libel and took them to court in 2017. A jury decided that the school need to pay the bakery $44 million in damages. That was lowered to $25 million and eventually an additional $6.5 million was tacked on to cover legal fees.

Unable to admit defeat, Oberlin College continued to appeal the decision. They did so all the way up to the Ohio Supreme Court. Of course, they had better things to tend to and declined to hear Oberlin's case.

Congratulations to the folks at Gibson's on getting the money that they truly deserve.

As for Oberlin College, it's a shame that their students and faculty — namely Raimondo — cost them so much money.

However, that's just what can happen when you embrace extreme, woke ideology.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle