In 2019, student protests broke out at Oberlin College in Ohio over a Black student who had allegedly been racially profiled by a local business, Gibson's Bakery. Per The New York Times, a jury ruled the college sided with the student activists and in doing so, the court found the educational institution had defamed the business. As a result, Oberlin College was ordered to pay $33 million to Gibson's Bakery in recompense, which was the largest such verdict in Ohio history at that time.
Oberlin claimed they took no sides in the issue, and simply tried to maintain order on campus. The student in question had allegedly attempted to shoplift from Gibson's Bakery; he also reportedly tried to buy alcohol with a fake ID. A physical altercation ensued, and protests broke out on the Oberlin campus (via the Times).
Following the protests, the Oberlin College administration did take steps to cut ties with Gibson's Bakery. The college's dean of students, Meredith Raimondo, also distributed printed material that advocated for a boycott of Gibson's Bakery and alleged Gibson's was a racist establishment, according to The Washington Post.
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