An Ohio jury on Friday slapped Oberlin College with an $11.2 million damages penalty for siding with three black students who had claimed they were victims of racial profiling after they were caught shoplifting in 2016, a report said.
The liberal arts college must pay the massive compensatory damages award to the family-owned Gibson’s Bakery, where the three students had been arrested for attempting to steal or buy alcohol with a false ID.
The arrests were met with massive protests by students and faculty at the school.
During the protests, the Dean of Students, Meredith Raimondo, drew up a flyer, claiming Gibson’s had a history of racial profiling, the Chronicle-Telegram reported.
The flyer also urged students to boycott the bakery, the Chronicle-Telegram reported.
The students pleaded guilty to the attempted theft in 2017 and admitted in court they were not racially profiled.
The $11.2 million award could triple in a hearing next week on punitive damages, according to the report.
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