Oberlin defamation suit and verdict : not a good optic

[Anonymous]

I remember reading about this as my son applied and was accepted in 2017 for the Class of 2021. I really liked the school and left with the impression that the academics were top notch. I liked the diversity in the student body. I was aware of the SJW reputation but viewed that through the lense that historically Oberlin has been on the right side on the debate throughout their history. DS elected to attend a different Ohio SLAC but I have often thought that Oberlin might have been the better choice.

That all said this is a really bad optic for the school and if the behavior by the school and Dean is true then I do wonder if it will impact enrollment. Sorry to see it but as a small business owner I feel for the bakery’s owners. I’m surprised they survived financially.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/09/us/oberlin-college-bakery-lawsuit/index.html

[Anonymous]

I used to live in Oberlin. The college has always had a strange relationship with the town. This does seem like an open and shut case of defamation and libel, though. I guess the town wasn’t a “safe space.”

[Anonymous]

Actions have consequences.

[Anonymous]

I do not know anyone who attends this college but I am impressed that the school elected to stand by its students. I notice the school statement seemed to suggest the school felt they had “clear evidence”. I don’t know if this bakery was a known place for students to go buy wine even when underage and only the black students were stopped or what the “clear evidence” was... pure speculation on my part. I think it is admirable the school took a bigger picture perspective and called out disparate treatment IF that was the case (again, pure speculation).

[Anonymous]

Wow, DD wanted to go there a few years ago but didn’t get in. She’s glad now that she ended up at a different college & so am I with the constant national attention the school receives about protests.

[Anonymous]

I honestly have no idea what truly happened here, so can't make any judgement.

The only thing I'd advise universities to do is to avoid putting names on any flier or pronouncement lacking in clear and irrefutable evidence, and to sever business ties cleanly without all that murkiness.

I wouldn't be surprised at all that the bakery was racist, but without evidence... a university cannot take a public stand.

[Anonymous]

Pretty crazy that the "victim" they decided to take a stand for was a guy who tried to steal wine and then beat up the owner... WTF?

Good for this business and shame on Oberlin.

I am a liberal and idiots like this give us a bad name

[Anonymous]

*employee, not owner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty crazy that the "victim" they decided to take a stand for was a guy who tried to steal wine and then beat up the owner... WTF?

Good for this business and shame on Oberlin.

I am a liberal and idiots like this give us a bad name

Absolutely. In fact, I get more incensed about the idiots on the liberal side because they make it much harder for the rest of us to garner support for common-sense liberal policies.

[Anonymous]

Oberlin soccer coach tried to recruit my DD to play there. I told my DD I would not pay a dime to a school like Oberlin where there is simply no diversity of political thought on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly have no idea what truly happened here, so can't make any judgement.

The only thing I'd advise universities to do is to avoid putting names on any flier or pronouncement lacking in clear and irrefutable evidence, and to sever business ties cleanly without all that murkiness.

I wouldn't be surprised at all that the bakery was racist, but without evidence... a university cannot take a public stand.

WTH is this supposed to mean? Why don't you just go back to "I honestly have no idea what truly happened here, so I can't make any judgement (sic)."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty crazy that the "victim" they decided to take a stand for was a guy who tried to steal wine and then beat up the owner... WTF?

Good for this business and shame on Oberlin.

I am a liberal and idiots like this give us a bad name

Absolutely. In fact, I get more incensed about the idiots on the liberal side because they make it much harder for the rest of us to garner support for common-sense liberal policies.

An oxymoron, if ever there was one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not know anyone who attends this college but I am impressed that the school elected to stand by its students. I notice the school statement seemed to suggest the school felt they had “clear evidence”. I don’t know if this bakery was a known place for students to go buy wine even when underage and only the black students were stopped or what the “clear evidence” was... pure speculation on my part. I think it is admirable the school took a bigger picture perspective and called out disparate treatment IF that was the case (again, pure speculation).

I only have the CNN article to go by but according to it, one of the arrested AA students admitted in writing: "In a written statement, Aladin confessed to using a fake ID to try to buy alcohol when a shop clerk tried to detain him. "This unfortunate incident was triggered by an attempt to purchase alcohol," Aladin wrote, according to court documents. "I believe the employees of Gibson's actions were not racially motivated. They were merely trying to prevent an underage sale."

Then the Oberlin dean is quoted as writing in a letter to the Oberlin community: "But Donica Thomas Varner, Oberlin vice president and general counsel, wrote a letter to members of the Oberlin community. "We are disappointed with the verdict and regret that the jury did not agree with the clear evidence our team presented," the letter said."

Pretty damning for Oberlin, I must say. I have very little faith in that the "clear evidence" Oberlin referred to was little more than a witch hunt to satisfy their own lust for finding the evils of racism in a local majority white community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oberlin soccer coach tried to recruit my DD to play there. I told my DD I would not pay a dime to a school like Oberlin where there is simply no diversity of political thought on campus.

Why don’t you ask Michelle Malkin what college produced her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oberlin soccer coach tried to recruit my DD to play there. I told my DD I would not pay a dime to a school like Oberlin where there is simply no diversity of political thought on campus.

Why don’t you ask Michelle Malkin what college produced her?

She graduated 30 years ago. Not relevant to today when 99% of the school body self identifies as liberal or very liberal on Niche.