Bakery Sues Oberlin After College Students Brand It 'Racist ' Accuse Owners Of 'Profiling'
Allyn Gibson
In November of last year  three Oberlin students â all minorities â were arrested after trying to shoplift from the bakery's wine selection  and then "punching and kicking the white shopkeeper "  Allyn Gibson   according to an Associated Press report. Two of the students claimed that they were "racially profiled" by the shop owner  and that they'd simply come in to buy wine  albeit using a fake ID  when  Gibson  accused them of stealing.
But by the time the students admitted that they probably weren't profiled  the damage had already been done in the Oberlin community  according to a legal complaint filed by  Gibson  late last month. Students have staged a number of protests outside the bakery  and the Oberlin student senate passed a resolution claiming  Gibson  has âa history of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment.â
The lack of proof hasn't stopped students from reportedly boycotting the cafe  and   Gibson  claims student advisers and campus tour guides tell prospective students that  Gibson 's is racist.  Gibson  even alleges that the school administration has participated in the protests  and that  after finding out students had stolen from the bakery  pushed the bakery's owners to drop the criminal charges and let Oberlin handle the incident instead of law enforcement.
âI have not taken a paycheck since this happened more than a year ago â  Gibson  said in an email. âSometimes you have to stand up to a large institution. Powerful institutions â including Oberlin College â and their members must follow the same laws as the rest of us.â
In November of last year  three Oberlin students â all minorities â were arrested after trying to shoplift from the bakery's wine selection  and then "punching and kicking the white shopkeeper "   [TGT]    according to an Associated Press report. Two of the students claimed that they were "racially profiled" by the shop owner  and that they'd simply come in to buy wine  albeit using a fake ID  when  Gibson  accused them of stealing.
But by the time the students admitted that they probably weren't profiled  the damage had already been done in the Oberlin community  according to a legal complaint filed by  Gibson  late last month. Students have staged a number of protests outside the bakery  and the Oberlin student senate passed a resolution claiming  Gibson  has âa history of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment.â
The lack of proof hasn't stopped students from reportedly boycotting the cafe  and   Gibson  claims student advisers and campus tour guides tell prospective students that  Gibson 's is racist.  Gibson  even alleges that the school administration has participated in the protests  and that  after finding out students had stolen from the bakery  pushed the bakery's owners to drop the criminal charges and let Oberlin handle the incident instead of law enforcement.
âI have not taken a paycheck since this happened more than a year ago â  Gibson  said in an email. âSometimes you have to stand up to a large institution. Powerful institutions â including Oberlin College â and their members must follow the same laws as the rest of us.â