I'm actually kinda with the jury on this one. School officials were involved.Originally Posted by Loki
The author of the piece is trying to have it both ways here and it doesn't work that way. If their administrators maintain a presence to control the students or keep an eye on them, then they are there officially for the school, it is involved in the activity, and it can be held liable for its involvement.Gibson’s attorneys also made much of the fact that some Oberlin administrators attended the protests. But, of course, Oberlin would want to have a presence at the protests to ensure both student safety and that students were respecting the law. This verdict tells colleges that if they send administrators to watch out for student safety they can be sued for millions of dollars. That is not in anybody’s best interests.
I'm also not terribly convinced that the school can't be held liable for the acts of its student government, leastwise not if it hasn't explicitly disavowed/rebuked those acts. The student government IS an official body of the school. Pretty low on the totem pole, but an organ with standing nonetheless.
Is the jury award ridiculously high? Yes, absolutely. And it will get reduced in further proceedings. But Oberlin earned the verdict against them. And it courted the high penalties with its hubris and grandstanding. They damned well ought to have had the good sense to settle considering the wrongdoing was coming from their direction, not the bakery's. They deserve to have to make a multi-million payout for that alone.
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