Legal Insurrection

Oberlin College claimed administrators were at the protest to calm things down, policeman disagreed https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-1-it-was-a-mob-mentality-out-there/ …pic.twitter.com/tCg4WfcR6g

Local reporter testified Raimondo tried to block him from taking photos of protest and handed him flyer accusing Gibson's of racial profiling https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-1-it-was-a-mob-mentality-out-there/ …pic.twitter.com/rP6Bz3roLp

Oberlin College had "no trespass" list keeping about 400 locals off campus, and it had "a disproportionate number of African-Americans on it” -- sounds like the college was the racial profiler, not Gibson's https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-1-it-was-a-mob-mentality-out-there/ …pic.twitter.com/dtsJSJxhBY

Raimondo testified she didn't know if racial profiling accusations true https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-2-i-dont-know-may-come-back-to-haunt-the-defense/ …pic.twitter.com/OpsT6S5Aal

Former Oberlin College security director was at protest and testified college admins not trying to calm things down and college admin tried to intimidate him into not taking photos https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-2-i-dont-know-may-come-back-to-haunt-the-defense/ …pic.twitter.com/4BwlJLuKkb

Former nurse at college, went to comfort David Gibson's wife who was "distraught" as protests raged outside https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-2-i-dont-know-may-come-back-to-haunt-the-defense/ …pic.twitter.com/2rEaAUm9I5

Wonder why the jury found actual malice? Internal emails are big part, including Raimondo's "unleash the students" and "fuck him" (directed at retired prof defending Gibsons) https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-3-to-unleash-the-students-or-not-that-was-the-question/ …pic.twitter.com/pDEAb24pTb

Sometimes lawyers ask question just to make a point: “You did these things to appease the students, for the school to be thought of as treating minority students better, right?” Plakas asked. “That statement is absolutely false,” Raimondo answered." https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-3-to-unleash-the-students-or-not-that-was-the-question/ …pic.twitter.com/9jEbshy1LN

African-American bakery employee denied racism, said Raimondo "orchestrating" protest and flyer distribution “She had a stack of them and while she was talking on the bullhorn, she handed out half of them to a student who then went and passed them out.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-3-to-unleash-the-students-or-not-that-was-the-question/ …pic.twitter.com/W0yX7jetGF

Oberlin College provided logistical support for protesters, including pizza and copying of defamatory flyers https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-3-to-unleash-the-students-or-not-that-was-the-question/ …pic.twitter.com/A0fPFRK8j0

Student protesters initially entered bakery and harassed customers and staff: “I asked them to leave and they wouldn’t, and then they started pushing their cameras in my face and yelling things at me.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-4-as-protests-grew-mrs-gibson-was-very-nervous-and-afraid/ …pic.twitter.com/Dk5aVuXFgE

Store employees had tires slashed, huge emotional toll, Lorna Gibson on husband David: “It isn’t just a job for him and all of us. It’s been our life. It is crucial for him and our family. It is us.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-4-as-protests-grew-mrs-gibson-was-very-nervous-and-afraid/ …pic.twitter.com/Ha9wrm3Ymg

Oberlin College promised full investigation of incident, but never did: "Raimondo suggested to Jones they should “dodge” the media’s question because “our phrasing was unfortunate” that they said they were indeed doing an investigation." https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-4-as-protests-grew-mrs-gibson-was-very-nervous-and-afraid/ …pic.twitter.com/20Q4MaDofa

Senior college admin rejected community warning “the students are on the wrong side of this issue” and “they refuse to [listen to] anything that doesn’t fit their narrative … the townspeople are furious. I find this misdirected rage very disturbing.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-4-as-protests-grew-mrs-gibson-was-very-nervous-and-afraid/ …pic.twitter.com/Ml7masN6BQ

That completes Day 4 of 13 days of witness testimony -- keep in mind as Oberlin College tries to spin this as them being held responsible for student speech -- that's not what case was about, it was their own conduct and speech https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/06/what-the-media-is-getting-wrong-about-gibsons-bakery-libel-verdict-against-oberlin-college/ …pic.twitter.com/u3bLShi3bd

Keep in mind brilliant trial strategy by @TzangasPlakas -- start Gibson's Bakery case by going directly after and destroying key Oberlin College witnesses and defenses, as I noted on Day 1 https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-1-it-was-a-mob-mentality-out-there/ …pic.twitter.com/Q4y5hAP9X9

90-yr-old Allyn W. "Grandpa" Gibson testified “[We’ve had] some threats made to us... Some of the students seem afraid to come in the store after the protests .... so their friends don’t see that they shopped with us.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-5-90-year-old-allyn-w-gibson-testifies-some-threats-made-to-us/ …pic.twitter.com/jjExJa3MhZ

Steve Gibson (son of David, grandson of Allyn W.): “My Dad was shocked and confused when all [these racial accusations] happened ... He was very worried about his family and friends. Nervous. Stressed out.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-5-90-year-old-allyn-w-gibson-testifies-some-threats-made-to-us/ …pic.twitter.com/I155wMlNx4

Marketing expert called by Gibsons pointed out college-age consumer decisions driven by desire "to be perceived as fitting in" - obvious implications for reputational damage in college town like Oberlin, jury paid close attention https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-5-90-year-old-allyn-w-gibson-testifies-some-threats-made-to-us/ …pic.twitter.com/j2K2uAF5rU

Oberlin College (unsuccessfully) tried to keep out police records showing no racial profiling at Gibson's Bakery: 40 arrested, 32 were white (80%), six were African-American (15%), and two were Asian (5%), pretty much matched city's racial makeup. https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-6-whats-a-bakery-worth/ …pic.twitter.com/OSTAlaK6xL

Culture of corruption - large percentage of shoplifting arrests were Oberlin College students (82.5%), what student mag called the Oberlin College "Culture of Theft" (mag not admitted in evidence, stats were) https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-6-whats-a-bakery-worth/ …pic.twitter.com/YQhmAPR1ez

On day 7 they didn't rest, they presented plaintiffs' damages expert: the bakery/market had already lost and will lose about $5.8 million from the school’s alleged racist accusations (note - jury ended up giving business about half that for compensatory) https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-7-damages-expert-says-show-gibsons-the-money/ …pic.twitter.com/1DBy75cMF6

David Gibson takes witness stand in emotional testimony: “I realized very soon on how everything had been going in this, that my dad was going to pass away labeled as a racist.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/Sj9LaZWg14

David Gibson wanted corrective statement from Oberlin College to clear his father's name, it never came: "They caused this thing, and they needed to step up and do the right thing. They never did,” he said, looking to his father. https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/uiFFxtqqpe

David Gibson made repeated requests for corrective statement that they were not racist and no racial profiling: “They ignored me" -- if Oberlin College had done that the lawsuit might have been avoided, but the arrogance of the college got in the way https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/yAQ0KXeLvz

Oberlin College officials didn't bother to tell David Gibson directly the bakery was cut off, food service company told him ‘It comes from the college and it comes from the top.’ -- this was part of intentional interference with business relations claim https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/w1cFlDp3ma

David Gibson: Oberlin College wanted bakery to drop charges against students to get business back, and set up special procedure for student shoplifters at Gibson's Bakery -- call college not police https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/ZviRF36cVe

David Gibson: college “had been accused of being racists by students in the previous year, and I think they used us to deflect from that problem they had .... they were using us as a target so that their racial problems with their students would go away” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/2iYNbkM97k

David Gibson: “I am not going to just give up this business over something like this. If we were to close the store right now, it would be telling everyone that there is something to this issue of us being called racist. I’m not going to let that happen.” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/FTuYAM3iaX

David Gibson on impact on his father, Allyn W. Gibson: "It’s very sad to see” https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/05/gibsons-bakery-v-oberlin-college-trial-day-8-my-dad-was-going-to-pass-away-labeled-as-a-racist/ …pic.twitter.com/rIWx9n4swY