Coffee Shop Owner Triumphs in Free Speech Lawsuit Against Boise State Administrators, Awarded $4 Million in Damages
BOISE, Idaho — In a significant legal victory, Sarah Jo Fendley, the former owner of Big City Coffee, won a lawsuit against two senior Boise State University administrators for infringing on her First Amendment rights. The jury decision issued late Friday awarded Fendley $4 million in damages, concluding a nine-day trial that spotlighted the intersection of free speech and campus politics. The case originated from an incident in 2020, when Fendley alleged that her support for law enforcement led to the forced closure of her coffee shop’s campus location. The controversy centered on her public … Read more