Columbia University janitors settle case after being held hostage by anti-Israel rioters on campus
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Two Columbia University maintenance staff workers who alleged they were held hostage by anti-Israel protesters during a riot last year and were forced to scrub swastikas have settled a complaint with the Ivy League school.

Lester Wilson and Mario Torres settled with the university for an undisclosed sum, days after Columbia announced a $220 million settlement with the Trump administration for civil rights violations and racially discriminatory practices in an effort to restore federal funding, the New York Post reported.

The settlement included $200 million over discrimination claims and another $20 million to employees who alleged they were victims of civil rights violations. 

Wilson and Torres filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which sparked a civil rights probe into the school.

Maintenance crew confronts protesters

A maintenance crew member confronts demonstrators attempting to barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University April 30, 2024, in New York City.  (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

At one point, Torres reportedly used a fire extinguisher to defend himself and was hit on the back by protesters while Wilson was shoved and had furniture pushed into him. 

“‘I’m going to get twenty guys up here to f— you up’,” one masked rioter who shoved Torres threatened, according to the complaint. 

Both custodians claimed they had sustained physical injuries and PTSD as a result of the Hamilton Hall takeover.

They have returned to work since, a source told the Post. Officers with the New York Police Department eventually cleared the building and made more than 100 arrests. 

Before the riot at Hamilton Hall, Torres was required to scrub swastikas and became upset over the feeling that Columbia failed to take aggressive action against the vandals. 

Pro-Palestinian protesters inside Hamilton Hall

Anti-Israel protesters inside Hamilton Hall.  (NYPD)

“They were so offensive, and Columbia’s inaction was so frustrating, that he eventually began throwing away chalk that had been left in the classrooms so vandals would not have anything to write with,” Torres’ complaint alleged.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Columbia and Torridon Law, the firm founded by former Attorney General William Barr, which represented the two men in their complaint against the school. 

Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report. 

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Chicago crime: Angelique Mobley, Lamon Weathers, Matthew Price charged in kidnapping of 2-year-old girl in Bronzeville, police say

Chicago Incident: Three People Charged with Kidnapping a Toddler in Bronzeville, Authorities Report

CHICAGO (WLS) — Three people are now facing charges in the kidnapping…
Four arrested for child abuse in Columbia County home

Four Individuals Apprehended for Child Abuse Incident in Columbia County Residence

Nine children were removed from their home in Fort White after a…
Early Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach are visible again with changing tides and shifting sands

Ancient Hawaiian Petroglyphs Revealed Again as Tides and Sands Shift on the Beach

WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least a half-millennium…
Famous missing person 'found alive' may have disappeared AGAIN

Renowned Missing Individual Recently Located May Have Vanished Once More

Virginia law enforcement agencies suspect they have located a woman who vanished…
'Life savers' at South Dakota lake rescue boy from drowning

‘Heroes’ Rescue Boy from Drowning in South Dakota Lake

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On July 6th, Billie Rothenberger had an…
'Chimp Crazy’ Tonia Haddix pleads guilty to three felony charges

‘Chimp Crazy’ Star Acknowledges Liability for Concealing Apes: Lawyer

() Tonia Haddix, the legally troubled star of the HBO docuseries “Chimp…
Wes Moore says Trump denied Maryland disaster assistance after floods

Wes Moore Claims Trump Refused Disaster Aid to Maryland Following Floods

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said this week the Trump administration denied…
The stars and creator of FX's 'Alien: Earth' talk about the bond they formed on this dramatic set

Cast and Creator of FX’s ‘Alien: Earth’ Share Their Experiences and Strong Bond Formed During Filming

SAN DIEGO — FX’s “Alien: Earth” is a sci-fi thriller set in…