“They’re sending a clear message to me and to my 91-year-old dad that they will just wait us out.”

David Gibson, one of the owners of Gibson’s Bakery and a plaintiff in the lawsuit that yielded almost $32 million in damages against Oberlin College, has just posted a video on Facebook announcing that he has pancreatic cancer. (h/t to multiple readers for alerting me)

In the video (below), David says that Oberlin College has known about his illness for several months, and made a motion in court to keep that information away from jurors.

Gibson goes on to assert his belief that the assertions by Oberlin College’s president that there is a long legal battle ahead is an attempt to send a signal that the college will just wait out his illness.

“They’re are sending a clear message to me and to my 91-year-old dad that they will just wait us out.”

(if video does not load, click here)

Here is the full transcript:

Hello, I’m Dave Gibson of Gibson’s Bakery and Candy. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who’s reached out to our family after the recent verdict in our lawsuit against Oberlin College. I’ve been amazed at the kind words of encouragement we’ve received from all over the world, including the support of so many people right here at home. I know I haven’t been able to respond to all your emails and letters, but please know that your words are greatly appreciated. It’s very humbling to know that so many people care about my family and our bakery, so I wanted to record this video to express how much your support means to us. You know, part of what we’ve heard is that the impact of this case is not just limited to our town or even Ohio. And while I’ve been shocked at the national attention our trial received, I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise. The fight has always been about sending the message that the truth still matters and doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult, is important. No matter who you are or where you live. As you may know, the president of Oberlin college has recently indicated from their perspective, the jury verdict is just the first round of what will be a long and difficult battle. It’s become clear that the fight’s not over. With that in mind, I’ve decided it’s time to share some news my family has attempted to keep private until now. As we’ve been going through this legal battle, I’ve been going through another personal battle. Late last year I was diagnosed with the devastating news that I have pancreatic cancer. Once the next round of my treatments begin, I know this will be impossible to hide any longer, so I wanted you to hear it from me. Oberlin College has known about my health condition since February. Their legal team filed a motion to prevent any mention of my cancer diagnosis at the trial and honestly, we agreed because I wanted the jury to decide this case on the facts alone. Nothing else. As you know, the jury sent a clear message that the truth still matters in this country. But recent public statements from Oberlin College make it clear that the college is refusing to accept the jury’s decision. The college has stated that the verdict is just the beginning of a long legal process. I believe they’re sending a clear message to me and to my 91-year-old dad that they will just wait us out. But, I’ll do everything I can to make sure I see this through. And even if I’m not able to see the end of this battle, our family has committed to continue serving the Oberlin community just as we have for the past 134 years. So while this journey has been difficult in many ways, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for your messages. Thank you for all of your support. Thank you to those members of the Oberlin college community who aren’t afraid of saying or doing the right thing. Thank you to the jurors who sacrificed their time. Thank you to the American justice system that enables a David to stand up to a Goliath. And most importantly, thank you for your prayers.

Comment has been requested from Oberlin College and David Gibson’s attorneys. If any comment is received, we will post it.

THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED

UPDATES:

The attorneys for the Gibson’s provided the following statement:

“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Dave, Lorna, and their family”

UPDATE 8-7-2019

I received the following statement from Oberlin College’s Spokesman:

“Oberlin College wishes Dave Gibson well as he battles pancreatic cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time.” — President Carmen Twillie Ambar —



