Columbia janitors assaulted during anti-Israel riot settle with university
Two Columbia University custodians who were trapped by an anti-Israel mob have settled with the university for an undisclosed amount.
In April, Torres and Wilson filed a lawsuit alleging that the pro-Hamas activists who violently seized Hamilton Hall assaulted them during the takeover.
Two Columbia University custodians who were trapped by an anti-Israel mob have settled with the university for an undisclosed amount.
The men, Lester Wilson and Mario Torres, accepted part of Columbia’s $220 million civil rights settlement but are continuing their lawsuit against over 40 protesters involved in the Hamilton Hall riot, according to The New York Post.
In April, Torres and Wilson filed a lawsuit alleging that the pro-Hamas activists who violently seized Hamilton Hall assaulted them during the takeover.
“Once inside, the masked invaders encountered two janitors who were working the overnight shift cleaning the building’s classrooms and bathrooms,” the lawsuit asserts.
“The Occupiers terrorized the two men into the early morning of April 30th, assaulted and battered them, held them against their will, and derided them as ‘Jew-lovers’ and ‘Zionists,’” the complaint continues.
The masked mob, armed with crowbars and zip ties, allegedly brutalized the workers, who later suffered from PTSD.
According to the lawsuit, Torres and Wilson were longtime cleaners at Columbia University, each working the overnight shift in Hamilton Hall for five to six years prior to the building’s occupation.
Before the Hamilton Hall riot, Torres was forced to scrub swastikas and grew frustrated with Columbia’s inaction, even throwing away classroom chalk to prevent further vandalism, Fox News reported.
Columbia will pay $221 million to settle federal civil rights probes into its handling of campus anti-Semitism, unlocking $1.3 billion in frozen federal research funds.
On Tuesday, Columbia University announced it had suspended or expelled over 70 students involved in two pro-Palestine protests, including the spring 2024 encampments and a May teach-in at Butler Library.
The school has also pledged to combat anti-Semitism as part of tentative negotiations with the Trump administration to restore federal funding. The proposed deal includes compensating victims, increasing transparency, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition, appointing Title VI and Title VII coordinators, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against anti-Semitism.
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
