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Oberlin College Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 11, 2019 46 Comments

Update

[3:20 p.m.] The Court has rejected plaintiffs' request to use the mass email sent by Oberlin College's Vice President and General Counsel, Donica Thomas Varner, to the Oberlin community criticizing the jury. The plaintiffs subpoenaed her to testify, and the defense filed a motion to quash the subpoena. The Judge ruled: "this was a letter sent by the Oberlin general counsel after the verdict. We are talking about the actions of the defendants that demonstrated malice. What we will use is only what was litigated in court."

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 10, 2019 41 Comments
As you know, last Friday the jury rendered a verdict of $11.2 million against Oberlin College and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo for compensatory damages. Allyn W. Gibson was awarded $3 million, David Gibson $5.8 million, Gibson Bros. $2,274,500. Legal Insurrection readers heard it here first. Our Verdict post has been shared tens of thousands of times on social media.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 10, 2019 25 Comments
Monday morning, Professor Jacobson joined The Michael Berry Show to discuss the recent verdict, awarding $11 million to Gibson's Bakery, who sued the college claiming defamation. During the interview, Professor Jacobson dismembered what's becoming national media spin -- that the case was actually a case about campus free speech. As Jacobson explained, "it's not."

Posted by Daniel McGraw on June 09, 2019 70 Comments
Sometimes it is the simplest explanations that explain best what some see as very complex. As a journalist who has following the Gibson Bakery racial accusation case for more than two years now – and who was able to cover it from a courtroom seat for the last month or so for Legal Insurrection – I see things from a perspective that is both factually based and less emotional politically. What it is, not what I wish it were.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 09, 2019 152 Comments
There are a lot of things about the way Oberlin College handled the Gibson's Bakery dispute and lawsuit that have had me wondering who, if anyone, is in control over there. As mentioned numerous times, "from the start of this case I have questioned the aggressive and demeaning attacks on the Gibsons as a defense strategy," and "I’m still shaking my head at the tone-deafness of the defense in belittling this family business." The jury seems to have agreed, rendering a combined $11.2 million compensatory damages verdict against Oberlin College and its Dean of Students, Meredith Raimondo.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 08, 2019 73 Comments
A jury has awarded Gibson's Bakery and its owners $11 million in compensatory damages against Oberlin College, for libel, intentional interference with business, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The punitive damage hearing next week could add another $22 million, bringing the total to $33 million. There will be post-trial motions to set aside the jury verdict and/or reduce the dollar amounts, and then appeals. So while the Gibson family won a major victory, it is not over.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 07, 2019 245 Comments
The Jury in the Gibson's Bakery v. Oberlin College case has reached a verdict. According to our reporter in the Courtroom, the jury awarded $11 million. Here are the details: Allyn W. Gibson was awarded $3 million, David Gibson $5.8 million, Gibson Bros. $2,274,500. Next Tuesday there will be a separate punitive damages hearing which could be a double award (meaning tripling the $11 million to $33 million).

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 06, 2019 67 Comments
FRIDAY (by WAJ) See new post

VERDICT: Jury awards Gibson’s Bakery $11 million against Oberlin college

Update 2:30 p.m. -- Dan tells me the judge read the verdict in court and the jury awarded $11 million. I am waiting for details as to which plaintiffs got what, and against which defendants, and for which claims. UPDATE 2 p.m. -- Jury has reached a verdict. We should know soon.

Posted by Daniel McGraw on June 03, 2019 46 Comments
Closing arguments in Gibson Bros. v. Oberlin College are scheduled for this Wednesday, then the jury gets the case. It's possible we will have a verdict this week. The events giving rise to the lawsuit have been said to represent “the worst of identity politics.”  You can read about some of the background on this case here.

Posted by Daniel McGraw on May 31, 2019 69 Comments
Today was Day 13 of witness testimony in Gibson Bros. v. Oberlin College. The events giving rise to the lawsuit have been said to represent “the worst of identity politics.”  You can read about some of the background on this case here. Both sides have rested their cases, and there will be no more witnesses.

Posted by Daniel McGraw on May 28, 2019 61 Comments
Today was Day 10 of witness testimony in Gibson Bros. v. Oberlin College. The events giving rise to the lawsuit have been said to represent “the worst of identity politics.”  You can read about some of the background on this case here. As so often happens in courtroom trials, choice of words used by witnesses becomes an issue. This is, after all, the art of truth-seeking that trial lawyers love to hang their hats on, proving that what was said can be true evidence of what that person accused was thinking. And, of course, common defense is “I didn’t mean it that way.”
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