An Ohio appeals court ruled that Oberlin College was on the hook for $25 million in punitive damages and $6 million in legal fees after a shop lifting incident in 2016 resulted in protests and charges of racism against a bakery. (Inside Higher Education, April 4, 2022, by Josh Moody)
Several First Amendment groups filed amicus briefs in support of Oberlin and its right to free speech but the appellate court judges said the case rested on whether the university or its administrators caused damages to the bakery not on the free speech rights of persons to protest. (Sacramento Bee, April 4, 2022, by Hayley Fowler)