As regular readers know, Gibson’s Bakery in Oberlin, Ohio, won a $36 million libel case against Oberlin College after Oberlin students, with the assistance of a super-woke senior Oberlin College administrator, organized protests accusing Gibson’s of racism for the perfectly proper arrest of shoplifters. Oberlin dug in its heels, and has appealed the verdict, withholding payment of the judgment (although it had to put up a bond pending final disposition).
Today the Ohio Supreme Court rejected Oberlin’s appeal, which is likely the end of the line for the deadbeats at Oberlin College. William Jacobson, who has covered this case in the most detail since the beginning over at Legal Insurrection, reports today:
Hopefully the long, hard road Gibson’s Bakery has traveled in its fight with Oberlin College has come to an end.
The Ohio Supreme Court just refused to accept jurisdiction over Oberlin College’s appeal (the Court also refused to hear the Gibsons’ appeal seeking to reinstate the full punitive damages award). It was a 4-3 decision, and it means the Gibsons now can collect approximately $36 million. . .
Several commenters mention Oberlin College going to federal court. That is a long, long, long shot. The appeal would be from the Ohio Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court. The likelihood the U.S. Supreme Court would agree to hear a case the Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear is not zero, but it’s approaching zero. I would not be shocked if they tried, but they would have to obtain another stay of enforcement of the judgment from the U.S. Supreme Court, another major hurdle that has little likelihood of success.
It will be a nice lesson for colleges and universities to have their pocketbook hit for their reckless wokery. Coming next, I hope: a wave of lawsuits for creating a “hostile work environment” on account of their required Maoist racial bias training struggle sessions.
UPDATE: Chris Flannery sensibly suggests pouring a Gibson for Gibson’s tonight:
