An Ohio college’s attempt to trash a family-run bakery as racist and then get out of paying a court settlement has crashed and burned.
Oberlin College last week lost its bid to get out of paying $31 million over a case linked to a 2016 incident in which three black Oberlin students were caught stealing wine from the store, according to the Washington Examiner.
Although the suspects admitted to the charges they faced, the college led the way in accusing the store’s owners of racism in protests that damaged the store’s business.
The 9th District Court of Appeals in Akron on Thursday said Oberlin must pay Gibson’s Bakery and Food Mart $6.3 million in legal fees, according to the Associated Press.
The legal fees come on top of a $25 million settlement, making this the largest case of its kind in Ohio.
The state appeals court rejected efforts by the bakery to have the amount restored to the initial $44 million it was given by a jury.
The court also threw out efforts by Oberlin to have a new trial.