Big City Coffee Awarded Millions in Lawsuit Against Former BSU Administrators
By Greg Pruett • September 15, 2024Big City Coffee has been awarded $3 million in damages after a jury returned a unanimous verdict against several former Boise State University administrators who acted in their personal capacities to target the company’s owner and an additional $1 million in punitive damages from nine of the 12 jurors.
Sarah Jo Fendley, the owner of Big City Coffee, won her lawsuit against Alicia Estey and Leslie Webb. Estey was the Vice President for University Affairs and Chief of Staff, and Webb was the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
Fendley’s coffee shops had several locations, including a newer one on BSU’s campus at the time. Fendley’s “Thin Blue Line” flag at her off-campus location became a target after the George Floy riots and protests that swept the country in 2020. Fendley had the flag up in support of her fiance at the time, who was shot in the line of duty in 2016 as a Boise police officer.
Fendley said she was forced to close the location after pressure from administrators and students who opposed her support of law enforcement.
In 2021, Fendley filed a $10 tort claim against BSU, BSU President Marlene Tromp, Vice President for Equity Initiatives Francisco Salinas, Estey, and Webb citing First Amendment rights violations, emotional damages, and more. Ada County District Judge Cynthia Lee-Wallace dismissed the lawsuit against the university, Tromp, and Salinas, citing a lack of evidence.
However, the judge allowed the suit against Webb and Estey to continue, saying material facts remained on whether they retaliated against Fendley for defending her positions on social media. Fendley’s attorneys argued that Webb and Estey had plotted to retaliate against Fendley before she ultimately closed the BSU location after just several months of being open. Webb and Estey’s attorneys argued that Fendley closed the BSU location on her own accord and that they did not violate her rights.
The jury ultimately sided with Fendley and awarded her $3 million for lost reputation, emotional and mental distress, personal humiliation, and business losses. They also awarded Fendley $1 million in punitive damages.
After the jury’s verdict, Fendley and her attorneys spoke with Miste Karlfeldt on the “Miste 4 Liberty” Rumble channel. In the interview, which can viewed in full here, Fendley states, in part,
“I’m grateful for these people standing next to me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. I’m thankful, that the truth finally came out and I’m thankful for the jury for their time and their effort. It was a very long three weeks. It’s been a very long four years and I’m just happy that it’s over.”
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Fendley also expressed her gratitude for her customers. She recently announced the closing of her main store, which had been open for 24 years, citing the toll the last four years have taken on her and saying she needed a break.
Attorneys for Webb and Estey announced that they would appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court. They sent a statement to the media saying,
“We respectfully but strongly disagree with today’s verdict and plan to appeal. We were honoring the First Amendment rights of all involved.”
At this time, it is unclear who will pay for all the damages.
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Tags: Alicia Estey, Big City Coffee, Boise State University, Leslie Webb, Marlene Tromp, Sarah Jo Fendley
Glad she won. These fools criticizing support of police and military are communist idiots.
It’s about time a jury used their heads instead of their feewings to determine a case. The BSU attorney tried to turn it around by injecting more political controversy re gays and lesbians by running hypotheticals to the jury, but it didn’t work. I hope this signals a sea change for restoring the spirit of what a Republic is supposed to be.
The other hurdle from here for Fendley may be if BSU decides to bleed her out by appealing. They will use taxpayer $$ and tuition and donor $$ to NOT educate, but punish Fendley even more. We’ll see.