Columbia janitors trapped, attacked by anti-Israel mob settle for undisclosed amount
Lester Wilson and Mario Torres, whose complaints sparked a civil rights probe, have opted to take advantage of Columbia's recently announced $220 million settlement for civil rights violations and racially discriminatory practices.
The settlement is for an undisclosed amount of money.
While that wraps up Wilson's and Torres' battle against Columbia, the two men are still forging ahead with their lawsuit against more than 40 protesters whom they allege held them hostage during the Hamilton Hall riot last year.
Columbia had inked the $220 million deal with the Trump administration to restore the bulk of federal funding to the elite institution.
4 Mario Torres repeatedly dealt with anti-Israel agitators throughout last year.
Getty Images
The settlement featured $200 million for settling discrimination claims and about $20 million to employees who alleged they suffered civil rights violations.
Wilson's and Torres' settlement comes from the $20 million pot specifically, as they had filed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints that sparked a civil rights probe into the school.
Neither Wilson nor Torres is Jewish, but the two men were horrified and traumatized by the storm of anti-Israel protests that ripped through campus in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
'The university set up the situation and ended up putting them into that situation, now the issue is holding accountable those who carried it out and were responsible for the takeover and the assault,' Brandeis Center president Alyza Lewin said in an interview.
4 The two janitors have not been able to return to work due to their injuries, a source told The Post.
Getty Images
The Brandeis Center and Torridon Law are working together on the ongoing lawsuit against the protesters.
Both men had worked at the school for five years and suffered injuries during the protests and riots on campus. Neither man has been able to return to work since, a source told The Post.
During the student takeover of Hamilton Hall in April of last year, Wilson and Torres were assaulted and chastised as 'Jew-lovers' by some of the rioters, according to the complaints they filed last October.
''I'm going to get twenty guys up here to f–k you up,'' one masked rioter who had 'violently' shoved Torres threatened, per his complaint.
'Mr. Torres pulled a fire extinguisher, which was within arm's reach, off the wall to defend himself and replied, 'I'll be right here.''
4 The two janitors were traumatized by the hate they witnessed at Columbia University.
Torres was repeatedly bludgeoned on his back by rioters before escaping, while Wilson had gotten shoved and had furniture pushed into him on his battle to get outside, per the complaints.
Eventually, the NYPD intervened and cleared out the building, leading to over 100 arrests.
Even before their traumatizing experience at Hamilton Hall, the two custodians had been forced to deal with racist and antisemitic graffiti scrawled on campus as early as November 2023.
'Mr. Wilson recognized the swastikas as symbols of white supremacy,' his complaint alleged. 'As an African-American man, he found the images deeply distressing. He reported them to his supervisors, who instructed him to erase the graffiti.
'No matter how many times Mr. Wilson removed the swastikas, individuals kept replacing them with more.'
Torres, who is Latino, counted up dozens of swastikas that he was forced to scrub and grew enraged over time as he kept seeing the hateful graffiti around Hamilton Hall.
4 Columbia University has since agreed to a settlement and to change its policies to combat antisemitism on campus.
Getty Images
He was particularly troubled by the fact that Columbia didn't take aggressive action against the perpetrators, given that the school has security feeds and requires an electronic ID to get into the hall, which is nestled on the school's Morningside Heights campus.
'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.
'However, Mr. Torres was reprimanded by his supervisor for doing so.'
At one point, after Wilson reported a masked protester running through Hamilton Hall chanting, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' and scribling swastikas in the building, campus security told him that 'the trespassers and vandals were exercising their First Amendment rights' and that 'nothing could be done,' according to his complaint.
Former US Attorney General Bill Barr's firm Torridon represented the two janitors in their complaint against Columbia.
The Post contacted Columbia for comment.
Additional reporting by David Propper
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
12 minutes ago
- New York Post
Buttigieg DOT ignored safety issues to build dozens of windmill projects near highways, railroads
WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation under then-Secretary Pete Buttigieg brushed aside safety concerns to approve dozens of windmill projects near America's highways and railroads — despite acknowledging potential hazards, The Post has learned. At least 33 safety recommendations to place wind turbines well clear of the critical infrastructure were overruled in 2023 and 2024, according to a current department official, permitting the projects to be built close enough to possibly interfere with vital radio communications. In March 2023, for example, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications Information Administration informed an Illinois wind farm seeking regulatory approval that 'the turbine locations that fall within the one-to-three-mile boundary of these rails may be problematic for train communications in this area and present an undue risk.' Advertisement The Heritage Prairie Wind Energy Project had been under review for 45 days before DOT flagged the problem. Nine months later, however, the Commerce Department issued another letter withdrawing the Transportation Department's previous concerns without explanation. 5 At least 33 safety recommendations originally made to place wind turbines farther away from the critical infrastructure were overruled between 2023 and 2024. CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Advertisement 'DOT continues to review and analyze the potential for harmful interference that might result from turbines placed within close proximity of rail, highway, and other transportation infrastructure, and reserves the right to make setback recommendations, or any other recommendation deemed necessary by the Department, on future projects,' the January 2024 letter stated. The about-face came as the Biden administration was approving hundreds of billions of dollars in green energy tax credits for wind projects through one of the 46th president's signature legislative achievements, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is now launching a department-wide review of any wind farms near transportation infrastructure — and is accusing Buttigieg and former President Joe Biden of having let green energy objectives override safety concerns. 5 The Department of Transportation under then-Secretary Pete Buttigieg waived concerns to help approve dozens of windmill projects near America's highways and railroads, current DOT officials told The Post. Getty Images Advertisement 'Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg put climate religion ahead of safety — blatantly ignoring engineers who warned of the danger of constructing wind turbines near railroads and highways,' Duffy said. 'That's why I'm immediately implementing a higher standard of safety. What the past administration did is a shame, but it's a pattern for Biden and Buttigieg.' Reps for Biden and Buttigieg did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 5 At least 1.2 miles of distance will now observed between wind farms and railroads or highways. Getty Images Advertisement Current federal rules mandate at least 1.2 miles between wind farms and train tracks or roads after an independent study found that the former interfered with radio signals necessary to operate transportation infrastructure. The Federal Aviation Administration will also start looking into potential affects on US airspace, which the Commerce Department's letter also referenced as a potential issue. 5 'Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg put climate religion ahead of safety — blatantly ignoring engineers who warned of the danger of constructing wind turbines near railroads and highways,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. AP Another 140 wind projects were never given a safety recommendation at all by Buttigieg's DOT, a current department official noted, though it's not clear how many of those would have been placed within the 1.2-mile buffer. The Post exclusively reported last week that the Transportation Department under Buttigieg approved more than $80 billion in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with Duffy charging his predecessor wanted to implement a DEI agenda 'while safety was ignored.' In an interview with NPR Monday, Buttigieg defended his record as 'a tough regulator of airlines' after The Post also reported that industry officials claimed his department ignored their pleas to modernize air traffic control systems and address staffing shortages to improve safety. 5 The DOT's Office of Transportation for Research and Technology, then-headed by principal deputy assistant secretary Robert Hampshire, supported the changes involving wind projects, the pair of letters showed. Christopher Sadowski The DOT's Office of Transportation for Research and Technology, then-headed by principal deputy assistant secretary Robert Hampshire, supported the wind projects, the pair of letters showed. Advertisement In his June 2021 Senate confirmation hearing, Hampshire stated a primary policy goal of the department would be to 'advance equity by providing better jobs and better transportation options to underserved communities — including communities of color and rural communities.' He added that the DOT would focus on ways to 'reduce the impacts of climate change by using more sustainable materials.' Hampshire did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Netherlands bans far-right Israeli ministers as EU considers sanctions over Gaza
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands has banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country and the European Union has proposed suspending Israel from a lucrative tech investment program as frustration mounts over worsening conditions in Gaza. The ban targets hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, key partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. It was announced in a letter sent late Monday by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp to lawmakers along with other measures, declaring 'The war in Gaza must stop.' The pair are champions of the Israeli settlement movement that supports continuing the war in Gaza, facilitating what they call the voluntary emigration of its Palestinian population and building Jewish settlements. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on the two men last month. EU considers sanctions on Israel's science and tech access The European Commission on Monday proposed partially suspending Israel's access to a lucrative science and technology program. The European Parliament could call a vote to cut off Israel's access to the investment arm of the European Innovation Council. To pass, the vote would need 55% of the bloc's 27-member nations. The €900 million investment program is focused on small businesses and 'disruptive innovations' that have 'potential dual-use applications, such as in cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence,' the commission said in a statement. It said the partial suspension of Israeli companies from applying for grants or equity investments worth €200 million annually is a targeted and reversible action and keeps intact Israel's access to roughly two-thirds of the program that is for civilian use. The commission found Israel's military campaign in Gaza breached terms of a bilateral deal between Brussels and Israel known as an Association Agreement, according to senior officials tasked with communicating for the commission who were not authorized to speak publicly. European countries pressure Israel to let in more aid Europe has widely soured on Israel over Gaza. Countries including Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have sought to aggressively pressure Israel to let in more aid and cease military operations. Israel has yet to reach the six points agreed in a new aid deal with the EU, which include adequate amounts of daily trucks allowed or newly opened border crossings, according to senior officials. EU aid teams have been prevented from entering Gaza despite recent humanitarian pauses. The suspension is one of 10 options presented by the commission to member states. Other steps could be suspending an aviation agreement, blocking imports from settlements and curtailing travel for Israelis in the visa-free zone known as Schengen, according to a leaked document seen by The Associated Press and verified by two EU diplomats. Like the Netherlands, other nations could act on their own to sanction specific companies or individuals in Israel or the occupied West Bank. Pressure has been mounting on the Dutch government, which is gearing up for elections in October, to change course on Israeli policy. Last week, thousands demonstrated at train stations across the country, carrying pots and pans to signify the food shortage in Gaza. The government also will summon the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands to urge Netanyahu to change course and 'immediately take measures that lead to a substantial and rapid improvement in the humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip,' Veldkamp wrote. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remained defiant. In a statement on social media, Smotrich said European leaders were surrendering to 'the lies of radical Islam' and Jews may not be able to live safely in Europe in the future. Ben-Gvir said in Europe 'a Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted,' but he will continue to act. Israel says Hamas is the reason aid isn't reaching Gaza After international pressure, Israel over the weekend announced humanitarian pauses, airdrops and other measures meant to allow more aid to Gaza, but Palestinians say little or nothing has changed on the ground. The U.N. has described it as a one-week scale-up of aid and Israel has not said how long the latest measures would last. Israel asserts Hamas is the reason aid isn't reaching Palestinians in Gaza and accuses its militants of siphoning aid to support its rule in the territory. The U.N. denies aid looting is systematic and says it lessens or ends entirely when enough aid is allowed to enter Gaza. Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, are wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of crimes against humanity. They are accused of using 'starvation as a method of warfare' by restricting humanitarian aid and of intentionally targeting civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Member states of the ICC are obliged to arrest the men if they arrive on their territory. ___
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
To avoid worst of Trump tariffs, E.U. accepted a lopsided deal
BRUSSELS - The tariff-and-spending accord announced Sunday by the United States and the European Union stands to avert a damaging trade war between two of the world's largest economies, but it is lopsided in favor of President Donald Trump's protectionist policies, with Brussels swallowing bitter concessions in hopes of stabilizing a relationship that is vital not just economically but also for security interests. The rough agreement - which allows Washington to raise tariffs on E.U. goods while the Europeans promise to buy more U.S. products - quickly came under sharp criticism in Europe. Despite feisty rhetoric and vows to stand up to Trump, E.U. leaders largely acquiesced to the U.S. leader's ever-changing demands. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. E.U. negotiators insisted the deal was the best way to avoid a highly damaging tit-for-tat trade war that would benefit rivals such as China and Russia. But European officials and analysts said the tentative agreement does not end the uncertainty because so many details must still be worked out. To the harshest critics, including some in France who spoke of a 'capitulation' and 'humiliation,' the agreement is proof of a deeply unbalanced alliance and the latest example of European appeasement of Trump. At NATO, allies similarly strained to pledge the huge increases in military spending demanded by Trump. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced the deal with Trump while sitting next to him at one of his golf resorts in Scotland on Sunday, touted 'a huge deal,' clearly playing to Trump's love of largeness. But at her news conference soon after, von der Leyen appeared far more sober, declaring the 15 percent tariffs she had accepted on European automobiles to be 'the best we could get.' The E.U., and in particular Germany, its automaking powerhouse, had hoped to eliminate the 25 percent U.S. car tariffs entirely. 'We should not forget where we came from,' von der Leyen said. 'Fifteen percent is certainly a challenge for some, but we should not forget it keeps us the access to the American markets.' Trump indeed had threatened far worse, including a 30 percent across-the-board tariff that upended months of painstaking negotiations. Under the new deal, the United States will impose a 15 percent duty on most imports from the E.U. The blanket rate foisted on the E.U. mirrors a U.S. deal announced this month with Japan, another Group of Seven ally, but it is higher than the 10 percent that Britain secured earlier this year and that E.U. officials had grudgingly accepted in recent talks. Since World War II, trade agreements have largely sought to reduce the cost of buying and selling goods across borders. A 2017 deal the E.U. struck with Canada eliminated tariffs on most goods traded between them. An agreement signed with Vietnam in 2019 aims to phase out nearly all customs duties. Trump's accord with the E.U. goes in the opposite direction by raising tariffs, with some exceptions. Economists say the tariffs will increase costs for importers, who must pay the duties, and put upward pressure on inflation. Consumers and businesses will probably bear some of the extra costs, experts say. In France, where President Emmanuel Macron had urged the E.U. to take a harder line, the deal drew sharp backlash. While Macron was quiet Monday, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said it was 'a dark day when an alliance of free people, brought together to assert their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission.' Von der Leyen's European Commission, the E.U.'s executive body that negotiates trade policy for its 27 member nations, had faced calls from Germany and Italy, two countries that do outsize business with the United States, for an accord that would limit damage to their export-dependent companies. But even capitals that had urged a conciliatory approach were not exactly celebrating on Monday. 'The agreement successfully averted a trade conflict that would have hit the export-oriented German economy hard,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. Still, members of the European Parliament from Germany blasted the deal even as it reduced Trump's tariff on cars, one of Germany's central demands. 'My first assessment: not satisfactory; this is a lopsided deal,' said Bernd Lange, who chairs the European Parliament's committee on international trade, in a post on X. 'Concessions have clearly been made that are difficult to accept. Deal with significant imbalance. Furthermore lot of questions still open.' Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof acknowledged that 'no tariffs would have been better' but called the deal 'vital for an open economy like ours.' Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said, 'One thing is clear: This is a moment of relief but not of celebration.' The talks laid bare the E.U.'s queasiness at using its economic muscle, one of its few areas of leverage against Washington, at a time when allies have had to calibrate repeatedly to keep Trump on board as Russia wages war in Ukraine. Ultimately, after months of mixed signals and threats from Trump, E.U. leaders said they accepted a deal to give their industries a reprieve from the uncertainty that threatened to cripple business. Officials suggested they had relented out of concern that Trump was prepared to raise tariffs to a level that would effectively halt trade between Europe and the United States. 'Let's pause for a moment and consider the alternative: A trade war may seem appealing to some but it comes with serious consequences,' said the E.U. trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, who shuttled to Washington in recent months for difficult talks with Trump officials. 'Our businesses have sent us a unanimous message: Avoid escalation and work toward a solution that brings immediate tariff relief,' Sefcovic told reporters Monday. He said that he and his team had traveled to Washington 10 times for a deal and that the E.U.'s calculations reached beyond trade. 'It's about security, it's about Ukraine, it's about current geopolitical volatility,' Sefcovic said. He said he couldn't go into detail on what was discussed in the room with Trump on Sunday, 'but I can assure it was not just about the trade.' Now, nearly 70 percent of European goods will face the blanket tariff, a big increase in charges, according to a senior E.U. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about the details of the deal, which is still under negotiation. The E.U. had sought carve-outs from the U.S. tariff regime for key sectors including wine and spirits, and aircraft parts. The announced agreement eliminates tariffs on airplane parts, but a decision on wine and spirits was postponed. E.U. officials said talks will continue in the coming weeks. The two sides appeared to diverge on other details. The White House indicated that a 50 percent tariff on steel would remain in place, while E.U. officials said there would be further negotiations on lowering steel tariffs. Many officials and experts said it was crucial to sort out the details. 'We need to understand what is included,' said Brando Benifei, an Italian member of the European Parliament and head of its delegation for relations with the United States. Some questioned if ongoing U.S. trade inquiries by the Trump administration might still result in extra tariffs, such as on European-made pharmaceuticals, though the E.U. said those should remain capped at 15 percent under the new agreement. At first glance, Benifei said, the deal 'seems very asymmetric.' 'The result is due in my view to the push by some governments to have a deal at any cost, which has weakened our stance,' he added. 'Because the U.S. knew some governments wanted a deal whatever the cost.' Others noted that Trump's threats managed to shift the view on what constituted relief. Just a few weeks ago, E.U. and U.S. negotiators neared an agreement that involved a blanket tariff of 10 percent, before a Truth Social post by Trump derailed them. On Monday, some investors saw benefits for Europe's key auto industry, for instance, which would see U.S. car tariffs reduced to 15 percent from 25 percent. The tariffs, however, were at 2.5 percent before Trump's global trade blitz, and some industry groups noted their dismay. 'The U.S. tariff rate of 15 percent, which also applies to automotive products, will cost German automotive companies billions annually and burdens them,' said Hildegard Mueller, president of Germany's main auto industry group, the VDA. On some issues, the Europeans stood their ground. Trump officials had pressed the E.U. for concessions on tech industry regulations and on food standards, which the bloc insisted were nonnegotiable. As part of the deal, Trump said Europe had committed to buying more U.S. energy and weapons, and boosting investment in the United States. But those provisions are mostly aspirational promises without guarantees. European nations were already poised to buy more U.S. weapons under an arrangement with Trump to continue arming Ukraine, and the bloc was already seeking alternative energy sources, including liquefied natural gas from the United States, as part of its push to phase out Russian energy imports. More energy purchases and European investments would come from member states and companies that Brussels does not control. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seen as a close Trump ally in the E.U., heralded the deal, while saying details still need to be worked out. 'I obviously welcome the fact that an agreement has been reached,' Meloni told reporters. Still, she added, 'we need to verify the possible exemptions, particularly for certain agricultural products. So there are a number of elements that are missing.' - - - Faiola reported from Rome. Beatriz Rios in Brussels and Cat Zakrzewski in Edinburgh, Scotland, contributed to this report. Related Content In a stressful human world, 'mermaiding' gains popularity in D.C. area 'College hazing' or training? Amid shortage, air traffic recruits wash out. A 100-year-old on a bike? Yes. 'The right to wind in your hair' Solve the daily Crossword
