VIDEO: The Inside Story of The Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College Case
Lorna Gibson, wife of the late David Gibson, and trial attorneys Lee Plakas and Owen Rarric reveal new details about what it was like to fight the “billion dollar bully” and win, and the emotional and physical toll it took: “It’s bittersweet … My husband did not see the end, my father-in-law did not either.”
On September 15, 2022, Legal Insurrection Foundation held what I think was the best of our many online events.
It was a night to hear from the inside about the Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College case we have covered since the inception of the shoplifting incident through trial and appeal, and on to the announcement that Oberlin College “has initiated payment in full of the $36.59 million judgment in the Gibson’s Bakery case”.
As some of you know, it was not always easy covering this case, at one point Oberlin College tried to subpoena OUR records, After legal challenge, Oberlin College withdraws subpoena seeking our journalist communications.
Our online event featured Lorna Gibson, and trial attorneys Lee Plakas and Owen Rarric. Kemberlee and I made some brief comments, but it mostly was Q&A of Mrs. Gibson and the trial counsel.
It was, IMO, fantastic. We learned a lot about what went on behind the scenes, the emotion and financial toll it took, and what the future looks like for the bakery, which has an online ordering and shipping business.
You may recall that Gibson’s cookies and swag were served when I gave a speech about the case in November 2019 for the James Wilson Center, VIDEO — Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College: Identity Politics on Trial.
One of the things we learned during the event was that Legal Insurrection and our readers were closely watched by the Gibsons and their counsel (and I assume the college and its counsel). This moving tribute to us at the event was very much a surprise and appreciated:
Lee Plakas, lead trial counsel:
We’d like to thank Professor Jacobson. And we’d like to thank all of the readers because although you did not know it at the time, and the time that this family was going through the challenge, Legal Insurrection, Professor Jacobson, and your readers gave the family the support and the courage that they needed to persevere in what literally was a David and Goliath battle. And you don’t know this, but every night, our trial team, before we would retire for the evening, and the evening wasn’t the evening, it was always two or three o’clock in the morning because as Professor Jacobson said, there was an onslaught of motions and efforts, and we had a billion dollar bully doing everything they possibly could to destroy this iconic bakery. So every night we actually would read Legal Insurrection because, and not because we had time on our hands, but because we knew that from the collective minds and observations of everybody, you were making comments. And we wanted to make sure that in this battle that we didn’t miss any nuance that one of your readers or Professor Jacobson may have identified. So we could incorporate it into our presentation. And because to be frank, we needed every advantage we could get ….
Lorna Gibson, wife of the late David Gibson:
… I do want to thank Legal Insurrection because you guys have been there from the start throughout this entire six years, and I really do appreciate all the coverage and just being there, it really helped for me to sit and look through all the comments and things every night. It gave me some hope. So thank you very much.
There was so much more. Too much to summarize or transcribe in the hour and 15 minute event.
Watch the whole thing.
FULL VIDEO
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Comments
Without the continuous updates on Legal Insurrection, this story would never have been told to the public at large. I’m also confident that Gibson’s would never have achieved the justice due them, at the hands of a sanctimonious, intolerant, and oppressive Oberlin, were it not for Legal Insurrection and the aggressive attorneys for Gibson’s. The Good Guys won. Congratulations!
To all LI readers, please make time to watch this video. I did, and I’m going back to read the transcript.
Legal Insurrection played a major role in the saga of Gibson’s Bakery and their battle against Oberlin’s woke, tone-deaf and arrogant administration.
If ever you needed another reason to donate to Legal Insurrection Foundation, you’ve got it now.
LI has again more than earned my annual donation. I will contribute with a smile.
Amounts to a hill of beans but I selected LIF as my preferred charity on Amazon Smile. I’ll also keep making regular contributions. (So long as LIF doesn’t start providing gender transition services like so many children’s hospitals now do).
I went to the “con”from 83-88 and was in there at least a dozen times a day. Knew them well. I despise Oberlin and the people that run it. These are good decent people who won but there are many who do not win and get screwed by the lefties.
I know that it my be inappropriate for the parties involved to do so but there is another piece to the trial that is often overlooked and that is the role the judge played in this trial. Today we see more and more activist judges wearing the robe, in this case the judge presided over a fair and equal trial, upon appeals the judge appeal courts found no errors that could have effected the final outcome.
He was not swayed by the out of area hired guns that were brought in to represent one of the parties. This scope of the trial was narrowly focused even though the defendant tried to expand the scope the judge did not allow it and maintained control of the suit and the proceedings.
Excellent discussion! Congratulations and best wishes to the Gibsons, their attorneys, and the Legal Insurrection Foundation.
So, is the check “still in the mail?” It has been 16 days since they asked for bank info, and I assume that means 16 x $4300 has been added to the tab. But hey, what’s another full ride scholarship for a year down the drain when it isn’t “your” money?