OBERLIN, Ohio -- A Lorain County jury awarded Gibson’s Bakery $33 million in punitive damages in a case against Oberlin College on Thursday bringing the total damages in the case to more than $40 million.

The jury found the the college and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo liable on three different counts last Friday, awarding more than $11 million in actual damages.

The counts were:

Defamation - Oberlin College and Raimondo were found liable

Infliction of intentional emotional distress - Oberlin College was found liable

Intentional interference of business relationships - Raimondo was found liable

Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar in a letter to the campus community on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the jury’s decision, and signaled the college plans to appeal its findings.

“Let me be absolutely clear: This is not the final outcome. This is, in fact, just one step along the way of what may turn out to be a lengthy and complex legal process,” Twillie Ambar said. “We are disappointed in the jury’s decisions and the fragmentary and sometimes distorted public discussion of this case. But we respect the integrity of the jury, and we value our relationship with the town and region that are our home.”

The case filed in 2017 stemmed from Oberlin and Raimondo’s conduct after a string of student protests outside the bakery where protesters called the owners racist.

Three black students were arrested in 2016 after one tried to use a fake ID and shoplifted from the bakery, according to the Chronicle-Telegram. The owner’s son, who is white, followed the students and got into a fight with them.

Soon after, students protested outside of the bakery to the extent where local police testified that they considered pulling in outside help.

Oberlin stopped ordering from the bakery after the 2016 protests, but resumed business with Gibson’s in January 2017, according to the Chronicle-Telegram. When Gibson’s filed suit in November 2017, Oberlin quit doing business with the company for a second time.

The students pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges including attempted theft in 2017, reading statements into the record that said the son was justified in detaining the robber and that the events weren’t racially motivated.

The lawsuit said that Raimondo handed out fliers calling Gibson’s racist and spoke into a bullhorn at the protests. The suit also said other professors took part.

“I think the number is less important than the message, there’s a number of messages because this was a complex case,” Lee Plakas, lead attorney for the bakery, said. "The jury recognized what happened to the Gibsons should not have happened to anyone, but could happen to everyone if truth no longer matters in America.”

Read the full statement from Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar below:

Dear Members of the Oberlin Community,

By now many of you will have heard about the latest development in the Gibson’s Bakery lawsuit, a jury’s declaration of punitive damages against Oberlin. Let me be absolutely clear: This is not the final outcome. This is, in fact, just one step along the way of what may turn out to be a lengthy and complex legal process. I want to assure you that none of this will sway us from our core values. It will not distract, deter, or materially harm our educational mission, for today’s students or for generations to come.

We will take the time we need to thoughtfully consider the course that is in Oberlin’s best interests. I will update the community as we make these decisions. I am confident that when we resolve this matter, it will look substantially different than it looks today.

We are disappointed in the jury’s decisions and the fragmentary and sometimes distorted public discussion of this case. But we respect the integrity of the jury, and we value our relationship with the town and region that are our home. We will learn from this lawsuit as we build a stronger relationship with our neighbors.

This has been a remarkable year for the college and conservatory. There is unprecedented unity around an ambitious new vision for Oberlin. The work of fulfilling that vision is already underway. Long after this lawsuit has receded from memory, that work will shape Oberlin’s future. I appreciate the contributions so many of you have made, your perspective at this important time, and the commitment you have shown to what matters most for Oberlin.

Sincerely,

Carmen Twillie Ambar

President, Oberlin College