A jury has unanimously ruled that Boise State University must pay $4 million to the owner of a coffee shop after determining that the university violated her First Amendment rights for supporting law enforcement.
Sarah Fendley, the owner of Big City Coffee, was awarded $3 million for lost business, reputational damage, distress, and personal humiliation by a jury on September 13. Jurors also decided she should receive an additional $1 million in punitive damages from Boise State’s former Vice President of Student Affairs, according to Fox News.
The conflict began when Fendley sued the university after her campus coffee shop was shut down in October 2020. She claimed that university administrators conspired against her after she expressed pro-police views on social media. This occurred following the opening of her campus location amid the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. Fendley, who had been vocal in her support for law enforcement, displayed a blue line sticker at the downtown Boise location of her shop, which led to backlash from student activists.
In response, students allegedly retaliated, with one posting on social media, “I hope y’all don’t go there if you truly support your bipoc peers and other students, staff and faculty.” Fendley responded to this by reiterating her support for law enforcement. At the time, she was engaged to a former police officer who had been paralyzed in the line of duty.
Following this conflict, university administrators held a meeting about the issue, and Fendley alleged that her business contract was canceled due to her pro-police stance. Her campus shop was closed just four days after the meeting.
During the court case, the university’s lawyer argued that Fendley opposed free speech on campus, claiming she wanted administrators to take action against students who disagreed with her views. However, the jury unanimously sided with Fendley, ruling that the university violated her First Amendment rights by terminating her contract.
“I did it, we did it!” Fendley said in response to the ruling, according to the National Desk. “My small but mighty legal team!!! Thank you to everyone that supported me and stood by me and helped me stand up for the little guy or in this case the little gal I am so grateful that 12 of my peers saw the truth.”
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
