Oberlin College … Again
10th August 2023
So throughout the Oberlin/Gibson’s litigation I kept thinking: It looks like it wouldn’t take much effort by the college to restore the Gibsons’ satisfaction and to get them to drop the lawsuit. Make a perfunctory statement about the good faith of the Gibsons (especially since the shoplifters admitted guilt and said they didn’t believe race played any role in their apprehension). Agree for the college to continue buying products at about the rate the college bought them before the dispute. Agree to put Gibson’s on a “recommended vendor” list for outside organizations that meet on or use college facilities. Instead, the college dug in its heels, going full “scorched earth” in public relations and in litigation, cutting off business relations with Gibson’s, urging others in town to cut off business relations with Gibson’s, and making or encouraging others to make unfounded accusations against Gibson’s and the Gibson family.
The lawsuit verdict appears largely a consequence of the unreasonable behavior of the college. So I find it amusingly ironic that the college is now asserting that the insurance companies should have been more reasonable.