Campus coffee shop forced to close after 'Thin-Blue Line' display wins $4M lawsuit against university

BOISE, ID - Big City Coffee, a locally owned coffee shop, will be paid out $4 million by Boise State University (BSU) after the owner was forced to close its BSU location by school administrators and angry student activists. The trouble began in 2020 when owner Sarah Fendley, a prominent supporter of law enforcement, displayed a thin-blue line decal near the shop's entrance and expressed pro-police opinions on social media.

As reported by KTVB, jurors on Friday unanimously found that Boise State University administrators violated Fendley's First Amendment Rights when they terminated her contract to operate on the campus. "I was completely blindsided," Fendley told the court during opening arguments. "I had no idea that there was any situation brewing and I was told there was a firestorm heading my way."

Boise State University Owes Coffee Shop Owner $4M for Violating First Amendment Rights

A jury ruled that Boise State University administrators owe Sarah Fendley, owner of Big City Coffee, $4 million after they violated her First Amendment rights. The conflict arose after Fendley… pic.twitter.com/N2YMjt8Mtf

— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) September 25, 2024

Shortly after the shop opened on campus in September 2020, a BSU student activist posted to Snapchat, “I hope y’all don’t go there if you truly support your bipoc peers and other students, staff and faculty.” Per the Idaho Statesman, the word traveled fast. Fendley testified that she brought the post to University administrators. “I remember feeling defeated,” she said. “I said, ‘OK, I’m going to address it.’”

After a meeting described by the Statesman as "contentious," the university administrators, rather than disciplining students for alleged violation of the school's code of conduct, terminated the shop's contract after just 42 days in operation.

“My client was sacrificed,” Fendley's attorney Mike Roe said.

Jurors unanimously awarded Fendley $3 million for her lost business, reputational damage, and emotional distress. They also awarded an additional $1 million in punitive damages from the university's former vice president of student affairs Leslie Webb.

Chief financial and operating officer and VP for finance and operations, Alicia Estey, told jurors, "We didn't retaliate against her at all. She made a choice to leave which was her choice to make, there was no retaliation."

Roe told jurors during his closing argument that the university "mistreated a small business instead of doing the right thing," per KTVB. He noted, "It's what makes this country unique, the right to speak, and think, and believe freely, without the fear some governor actor is gonna punish you for it, or some government agency."

In a statement to the local news station Fendley said, "I have gratitude to the jury of 12 peers that unanimously came back with the verdict in my favor. I am grateful they committed three weeks of their lives to hearing my case. It’s been almost four years since I was removed from Boise State campus and my attorney, Mike Roe said it best in closing arguments to the jury, 'This case is not about liberal vs. conservative, Black vs. white, gay vs. straight. It’s not even about anti-police vs. pro police. That’s not what this case is about. It’s about highly educated, highly compensated, government officials running Idaho’s largest university grossly mistreating a small businesswoman because they didn’t care about her and doing so was easier than doing the right thing. In that mistreatment, they violated her First Amendment rights to free speech and free expression.'
 

"I started Big City 24 years ago when I was 31 years old. I sold my car to fund the down payment on the shop knowing nothing and with no degree, no family money and just hard work and learning on the job. I made it a special place for my employees, their now kids and the community. It was the time of my life, and it was my whole life, my DNA.

"This fight for the truth and this trial after four years took so much from me that I had nothing left for Big City. I chose to close in early August before the trial so I could focus on that. It was the hardest decision to make and it’s painful to think about Big City being gone. It’s still in my heart and in many others. It was a Boise landmark, and I am so proud of that. The future is unknown but again I am grateful to the jury and their verdict, and I hope that we all can rest and recover."