BY DAKE KANG

Associated Press

OBERLIN, OHIO

Students at Oberlin College have long enjoyed pastries, bagels and chocolates from Gibson's Bakery, a century-old, family-owned business near campus. That sweet relationship has turned bitter amid hotly disputed accusations of racism, roiling a school and town long known for their liberal politics.

The dispute, which began in November 2016 with the arrest of three black Oberlin students who tried stealing wine from Gibson's, is now a lawsuit in which the exasperated bakery owners accuse the college and a top dean of slandering Gibson's as a "racist establishment" and taking steps to destroy the family's livelihood.

Caught in the middle are longtime residents of this town of 8,300 people, many of whom identify themselves as liberals but who have patronized Gibson's for decades. Many believe the timing was right for the conflict to boil over; the arrests came the day after Donald Trump won the presidential election, electrifying students who had long heard suspicions of racial profiling at Gibson's.

"I can understand why people were looking for some outlet for their frustration, but it's just counterproductive to bend that anger towards a small family business that to my knowledge is not guilty of the sort of racial profiling that people accuse it of," said retired Oberlin professor Roger Copeland.

The three students were arrested after punching and kicking the white shopkeeper. The 18- and 19-year-old students said that they were racially profiled and that their only crime was trying to buy alcohol with fake identification; the shopkeeper, Allyn Gibson, said the students attacked him after he caught them trying to steal bottles of wine.

The day after the arrests, hundreds of students protested outside the bakery. Members of Oberlin's student senate published a resolution saying Gibson's had "a history of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment."

Few colleges put the "liberal" into "liberal arts" more than Oberlin, which in the early 1800s became the first in the country to regularly admit women and minorities. But it also more recently has become, for conservatives, a symbol of political correctness gone awry and entitled youth.

News articles in 2015 quoted students decrying the school dining hall's sushi and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches as cultural appropriation. The divisive, voice-of-a-generation actress Lena Dunham, famously a 2008 Oberlin alumna, was quoted in Food & Wine magazine as saying, "The press reported it as, 'How crazy are Oberlin kids?' But to me, it was actually, 'Right on.'"

With Oberlin's reputation preceding it and news of the Gibson's protests spreading online, bikers and out-of-town counter-protesters soon converged on the town to jeer students and buy doughnuts from Gibson's. Conservatives derided the students on social media as coddled "snowflakes" with a mob mentality, while students attacked the store as a symbol of systemic racism.

The three students arrested at Gibson's pleaded guilty in August to attempted theft and aggravated trespassing and said in statements required by a plea agreement that their actions were wrong and that the store wasn't racist.

Even so, students continue to boycott Gibson's over perceived racial profiling, causing business to suffer. Pressed by a reporter to provide evidence or examples of profiling, they said only that when black students enter the store, they feel as though they're being watched.

"Racism can't always be proven on an Excel sheet," said Kameron Dunbar, an Oberlin junior and vice chair of the student senate.

Copeland and other residents say the accusations of racism are unfounded.

"I've never seen evidence; it's always hearsay," Copeland said. "When your fellow student is shutting down a conversation because he or she is made uncomfortable, it leads to a hive mentality."

On Nov. 7, the Gibsons sued Oberlin and Meredith Raimondo, vice president and dean of students, for slander, accusing faculty members of encouraging demonstrations against the bakery by suspending classes, distributing flyers, and supplying protesters with free food and drink.

It says Raimondo took part in the demonstration against Gibson's with a bullhorn and distributed a flyer that said the bakery is a "RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION."

Today, the lawsuit says, college tour guides continue to inform prospective students that Gibson's is racist.

Dave Gibson, the bakery's owner, says the lawsuit is about standing up for his right to crack down on shoplifting without being branded as a racist. The suit says Oberlin demanded that he stop pushing criminal charges on first-time shoplifters and call school deans instead.

"I have not taken a paycheck since this happened more than a year ago," Gibson said in an email. "Sometimes you have to stand up to a large institution. Powerful institutions — including Oberlin College — and their members must follow the same laws as the rest of us."

Gibson's loses thousands of dollars to theft, the lawsuit said. It rejects any accusations of racial bias, pointing to police figures in the past five years that show only six out of 40 adults arrested for shoplifting at the bakery were black.

The school said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed that it and Raimondo deny Gibson's claims and that the college has stopped buying the bakery's goods, ending what had been a decades-long relationship. Raimondo did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Attempts by the Oberlin Business Partnership to mediate between the school and bakery ended in failure, said partnership Director Janet Haar, with neither side appearing to be interested.

The clash has inspired Oberlin senior Jake Berstein, who said he witnessed the initial altercation, to produce a podcast trying to create a conversation that "isn't being had" between the two sides.

"Gibson's has become all that is wrong with America," Berstein said. "It's a classic case of those political bubbles that don't communicate with each other, and don't want to."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article189031719.html

HEY HEY HO HO

RACIST BAKERS GOT TO GO

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34888645)

http://www.chroniclet.com/cops-and-courts/2017/11/10/Gibson-39-s-sues-Oberlin-College.html

OBERLIN — Gibson’s Bakery has filed a lawsuit against Oberlin College, prompting the college to once again sever business ties with the downtown bakery.

The lawsuit lays out a narrative in which Oberlin College — trying to recover its image of being supportive of the African-American community after firing a professor who is black, and with business interests in wanting to buy the Gibson property and adjacent parking lot — latched on to a shoplifting incident to promote Gibson’s as a racist establishment to bolster its own image and interests.

It was filed Tuesday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court and names the college and Meredith Raimondo, vice president and dean of students, as defendants.

The complaint accuses the college of libel, slander, interference with business relationships, interference with contracts, deceptive trade practices, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring and trespass and asks for more than $200,000 in damages.

In a statement from the college, the college and Raimondo “deny and reject” all claims in the complaint and said the allegations “are untrue and we will vigorously defend against them.”

“The college values its long relationship with the town of Oberlin and its businesses, including Gibson’s bakery,” the statement reads. “We are saddened that the Gibson family has chosen to pursue litigation. As this is now a legal matter, the college will suspend, effective immediately, its business relationship with Gibson’s Bakery until such time as a mutually productive relationship may be re-established.”

Full statement from Oberlin College

Oberlin College and Dr. Raimondo deny and reject all claims asserted in the lawsuit filed by Gibson Bros., Inc. in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas. The allegations are untrue and we will vigorously defend against them.

The College values its long relationship with the town of Oberlin and its businesses, including Gibson's Bakery. We are saddened that the Gibson family has chosen to pursue litigation. As this is now a legal matter, the College will suspend, effective immediately, its business relationships with Gibson's Bakery until such time as a mutually productive relationship may be re-established. We will have no further public comment on this matter.

The lawsuit details when the college in November 2016 fired Joy Karega, an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, for posting what the college considered to be anti-Semitic rhetoric.

In defense of Karega, students sent a 14-page list of demands, the complaint states, with one of those being that Karega, who is black, get “guaranteed tenure.”

Raimondo, who was special assistant to the president for diversity, equity and inclusion, was brought on to be vice president and dean of students “in an effort (for the college) to better market itself as a strong advocate for and a strong supporter of African-American students and racial minorities,” the complaint states.

The firing of Karega and response from students, the complaint states, served as a backdrop for the incident on Nov. 9, 2016, wherein three college students who are black — Jonathan Aladin, Endia Lawrence and Cecelia Whettstone — were arrested after Aladin attempted to buy wine with a fake ID while also concealing two bottles of wine under his shirt.

When Allyn Gibson, who is white, confronted Aladin about the fake identification and attempted theft, Aladin ran out of the bakery, dropping the bottles of wine. Allyn Gibson pursued Aladin out of the store, and when police arrived, Allyn Gibson was on the ground with all three students punching and kicking him.

Days of protests followed the arrests, with chants and flyers spread around the community calling Gibson’s “a racial establishment with a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.”

Flyers were hung in college halls and urged students and staff to take business elsewhere.

The lawsuit alleges Raimondo and other college professors were present and took part in the protests and the dissemination of flyers as well.

In response to the accusations of racism, Oberlin police conducted an investigation into arrests at Gibson’s and found “a complete lack of evidence of racism,” the complaint states. In a five-year period, according to police, 40 adults were arrested for shoplifting and only six were African-American.

“The defendants consciously ignored the facts and findings of the Oberlin Police Department because such ignorance allowed them to continue their agenda against Gibson’s bakery and the Gibsons,” the complaint states.

According to the complaint, this agenda also includes wanting to buy the Gibson’s building and the adjacent parking lot, owned by Allyn Gibson’s father, David Gibson.

The complaint states the college encouraged staff and outside contractors to park in the lot, knowing it was meant to serve customers of surrounding business, including Gibson’s Bakery.

Following the protests, Oberlin College canceled its long-standing order with Gibson’s Bakery. At that time, David Gibson met with then-President Marvin Krislov and Tita Reed, assistant to the president of Oberlin College, during which time the college asked Gibson’s not to push criminal charges against first-time shoplifters, according to the complaint.

The Gibson family, according to the lawsuit, said that would be “unworkable and unacceptable” and would only exacerbate the problem.

“Gibson’s loses thousands of dollars a year due to stolen merchandise and such losses would certainly multiply if students learned they could steal without repercussion,” the lawsuit states. “David Gibson believes the policy would be inconsistent with his core belief that an educational institution of higher learning should be teaching its students not to commit robbery and theft, instead of sheltering and excusing that criminal activity.”

In August, Aladin, Lawrence and Whettstone pleaded guilty to amended misdemeanor charges in county Common Pleas Court. The deal called for them to receive no jail time and to pay restitution. Included in the deal was an admission by the three students that Allyn Gibson was within his right to detain Aladin and that his actions were not racially motivated.

Gibson’s said in the lawsuit that the statement and guilty pleas did not stop the college from continuing to allege racial profiling.

The complaint states that Gibson’s Bakery employees have been threatened and have had their tires punctured, the Gibsons’ homes have been damaged and students who shop at the bakery have been threatened.

“The overall campus environment has resulted in a substantially reduced patronage by students, professors, administrators and other college constituents, as well as created a chilling effect upon persons that would normally support and patronize Gibson’s Bakery,” the complaint states.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34888750)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34888937)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberlin,_Ohio#Demographics

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34888986)

Rare to see someone use “their only crime” and actually list a crime. LOL

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34889313)

It says Raimondo took part in the demonstration against Gibson's with a bullhorn and distributed a flyer that said the bakery is a "RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION."

https://www.oberlin.edu/meredith-raimondo

Meredith Raimondo

(she/her/hers)

Education

PhD, Emory University, 1999

MA, Emory University, 1997

BA, Brown University, 1991

Biography

Meredith Raimondo is Oberlin’s latest vice president and dean of students after filling the position on an interim basis since July 2016.

As dean of students, Raimondo will lead Oberlin’s Division of Student Life that supports students by creating more seamless connections between curricular and cocurricular experiences, advising and mentoring focused on the development of life skills and interpersonal and personal growth, and building and bridging intellectual and personal communities. She previously served as special assistant to the president for equity, inclusion, and diversity and Title IX coordinator.

Raimondo joined the Oberlin community in 2003, as one of the professors in the newly formed Department of Comparative American Studies. CAS focuses on the comparative,” Raimondo said in 2003, how diversity affects Americans at home and abroad, and what this means when we look at the role of the United States in a global context.

She has taught courses spanning the themes of gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity studies, social justice, and HIV/AIDS.

In 2014, she was recognized with an Excellence in Teaching Award and later that year was appointed special assistant to the president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and Title IX coordinator, a position for which she oversees institutional policy to ensure all students’ needs are being met under Title IX guidelines.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34889335)

Lol, Title IX administrator causes $11 million verdict for libel/slander. Sounds like a real top shelf job candidate.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38356044)

fucking lol

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34889681)

In are current political climate, you're absolutely crazy if you're trying to run or open a small business in a college town. A mere accusation of wrongthink and your business is destroyed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#34889723)

http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2019/06/07/Gibson-s-Bakery-v-Oberlin-College-More-than-11-million-awarded.html

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38355991)

https://c4.legalinsurrection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Oberlin-College-statement-re-Gibson-Bakery-verdict.png

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38356061)

https://www.lawlion.com/our-team/lee-e-plakas/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358143)

On the one hand I generally aupport small businesses such as the bakery mentioned ITT.

OTOH I think it's rare for businesses to go after 18 year olds who are trying to shoplift booze because they dont have fake ID.

I was caught shoplifting a magazine at the old store borders when I was like 16 or 17 (not sure why I did it bwcause it was like 4 dollars and I had the money). Anyway the people there were reasonable and compassionate andnjuat called my mom (who was at work and didnt call my cell) and made me sign a statement saying I would never enter a borders again rather than ruining the life of a stuuvesant studwnt with criminal charges and and arrest rexord over 5 bucks.

When I was at yale I had SO MANY Awhite male friends that would do misxhevious things that all kids do - drink underage, get drunk and be rowdy, piss on the sidewalk, vandalize stuff after we lost sports games etc. But they NEVER got arrested. But all of my black male friends have stories of being harassed by the new haven police just because they were walking aroubd late at night or attempting to enter Yale dorms. I have a male friend who tried to get into old campus (where freshmen live) by slipping in behind aomeone else because he didnt have ID (EVERYONE has done this a million times) and he was acccosted by cops and accused of being a townie who was trying to break into dorms by the new haven pigs. I have another black male friend who was in the law school and was arrested just for being out late, refusing to show I'd and getting into it with police (he never touchedbthem though).

So I can see why kids felt it was odd for a college liquor store to go balls to the wall and try to get kids sentenced for shoplifting their $12 bottle of footsteps wine or whatever.

HOWEVER, they also said only 6 out of 40 people arrested were black so I would be inclined to believe the storr owner is just an asshole but not racist, because I never hear of stores actually bothering to get people arrested for such petty shoplifting.

I wouldn't show up to a protest bht I probably wouldn't go there anymore.

Oh and white people who have never been profiled in a store before: you have no idea what you're talking about. No its not a really discrete set of actions but you know when someone is looking at you and watching you in a weird fashion and following you around. I am not inherently suspicious of all non-white people like most xo posters are so I dont think all the people of color at Oberlin got together and conspired to create the stories about the bakery racially profiling.

Anyway as usual I post just to provide another perspective on this board where there is none. I haven't been poating much lately but I will try to remember to check for responses.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358047)

Odd how she fails to mention this wide eyed teen shoplifter and his two friends waiting outside knocking the bakerdood to the floor and beating the shit out of him

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358159)

Date: June 8th, 2019 5:48 AM

Author: Mrs. Blue Beto Smoke-O'Rourke (I'm like chardonnay, get better over time)

I am divided.

On the one hand I generally aupport small businesses such as the bakery mentioned ITT.

OTOH I think it's rare for businesses to go after 18 year olds who are trying to shoplift booze because they dont have fake ID.

I was caught shoplifting a magazine at the old store borders when I was like 16 or 17 (not sure why I did it bwcause it was like 4 dollars and I had the money). Anyway the people there were reasonable and compassionate andnjuat called my mom (who was at work and didnt call my cell) and made me sign a statement saying I would never enter a borders again rather than ruining the life of a stuuvesant studwnt with criminal charges and and arrest rexord over 5 bucks.

When I was at yale I had SO MANY Awhite male friends that would do misxhevious things that all kids do - drink underage, get drunk and be rowdy, piss on the sidewalk, vandalize stuff after we lost sports games etc. But they NEVER got arrested. But all of my black male friends have stories of being harassed by the new haven police just because they were walking aroubd late at night or attempting to enter Yale dorms. I have a male friend who tried to get into old campus (where freshmen live) by slipping in behind aomeone else because he didnt have ID (EVERYONE has done this a million times) and he was acccosted by cops and accused of being a townie who was trying to break into dorms by the new haven pigs. I have another black male friend who was in the law school and was arrested just for being out late, refusing to show I'd and getting into it with police (he never touchedbthem though).

So I can see why kids felt it was odd for a college liquor store to go balls to the wall and try to get kids sentenced for shoplifting their $12 bottle of footsteps wine or whatever.

HOWEVER, they also said only 6 out of 40 people arrested were black so I would be inclined to believe the storr owner is just an asshole but not racist, because I never hear of stores actually bothering to get people arrested for such petty shoplifting.

I wouldn't show up to a protest bht I probably wouldn't go there anymore.

Oh and white people who have never been profiled in a store before: you have no idea what you're talking about. No its not a really discrete set of actions but you know when someone is looking at you and watching you in a weird fashion and following you around. I am not inherently suspicious of all non-white people like most xo posters are so I dont think all the people of color at Oberlin got together and conspired to create the stories about the bakery racially profiling.

Anyway as usual I post just to provide another perspective on this board where there is none. I haven't been poating much lately but I will try to remember to check for responses.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358047)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358145)

"because I never hear of stores actually bothering to get people arrested for such petty shoplifting. "

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358149)

they stole because they were PROFILED!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358151)

How many times was this man beaten by WHITE petty thieves and why did he choose these three black youths to be his assailants

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3824662&forum_id=2#38358163)