28-04-2025
Columbia janitors sue protesters who allegedly held them hostage in Hamilton Hall takeover — while revealing chilling maps used in attack
Two Columbia University custodians are suing more than 40 protesters from the Hamilton Hall riot who allegedly held them hostage — revealing chilling hand-drawn maps used in the 'highly coordinated'' attack.
Mario Torres and Lester Wilson were carrying out their regular overnight shift at the historic university building in April 2024 when the masked protesters assaulted and battered them, held them against their will and derided them as 'Jew-lovers' and 'Zionists,' according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Friday.
The suit also includes new details about how the protesters planned and carried out the violent occupation of Hamilton Hall — allegedly with the help of a how-to guide titled, 'Palestine Action: The Underground Manual.'
7 Columbia University janitor Mario Torres fights back against the Hamilton Hill protesters who allegedly attacked him April 29, 2024.
Getty Images
7 The new lawsuit reveals the plans that the protesters prepared to seize the historic building.
'The co-conspirators had compiled information and had drawn maps of Hamilton Hall that identified, inter alia, the location of heavy equipment that could be used to fortify the building, including podium toppers, tables, and benches, the location of each door and window on the third floor including certain windows that needed to be blocked to secure the building, and the locations of fire extinguishers, water fountains, and electrical panels,' the lawsuit claims.
The plaintiffs provided diagrams allegedly taken from the protesters that show mock-ups of the floor plans of Hamilton Hall, citing the key locations.
Hours before the destructive takeover occurred April 29, the protesters held a meeting where they 'solidified and set into motion their coordinated plan to seize Hamilton Hall,' according to the lawsuit.
7 A masked demonstrator breaks the windows to the front door of Hamilton Hall during the protest.
Getty Images
The defendants handed out 'rope, zip ties, bike locks, food and water, cots, and other supplies' to carry out the raid — with the message to 'MOBOLIZE TO COLUMBIA NOW!' going out at 11:27 p.m., the suit says.
James Carlson, 41, was among the alleged key conspirators named in the lawsuit who fought with Torres inside the hall after the mob allegedly failed to bribe him and Wilson, with the protester threatening to pummel Torres when he fought back, the suit states.
'I'm going to get 20 guys up here to f–k you up,' Carlson allegedly said.
7 Torres pins protester James Carlson to the wall, with the demonstrator allegedly threatening to then return with others to pummel the janitor.
Getty Images
Protesters Gabriel Yancy and Ethan Choi also allegedly punched Torres repeatedly during the confrontation, leaving the custodian with injuries in his upper body, the suit says.
The lawsuit claims the students were trained and readied to take over Hamilton Hall by Lisa Fithian, a professional protester and protest consultant.
The lawsuit also names protesters Aidan Parisi, Grant Miner, Catherine Curran-Groome and 40 John Does.
7 Carlson is currently on trial for his alleged violent participation in anti-Israel protests in New York.
Steven Hirsch
Robert Gottlieb, whose firm represents Carlson, said his client denies the allegations and that he is prepared to fight them in court.
'The claims against Mr. Carlson are patently false and defamatory,' Gottlieb told The Post. 'He never uttered at any time any antisemitic slurs to the plaintiffs.'
Gottlieb said Carlson is a Jewish-Armenian who stands against 'genocide against any people.'
Representatives for the others named in the lawsuit could not be immediately reached for comment.
7 Columbia has taken action against 22 students who participated in the illegal occupation last year.
J.C. Rice
The lawsuit claims both Torres and Wilson suffered multiple physical injuries from the night of the Hamilton Hall occupation, with the two men suffering from PTSD that has required ongoing medical care.
The two men have also been unable to return to work since the night of the protest, with the plaintiffs looking to win unspecified damages to cover their lost wages and medical expenses.
'Mario and Lester went to work to provide for their families and instead found themselves the victims of a hate-fueled, premeditated attack,' said former Attorney General Bill Barr, co-founder of Torridon Law, which helped file the lawsuit.
'Mario and Lester are seeking the justice they deserve and sending a powerful message that those who terrorize others will be held accountable under the law.'
7 Protesters are seen barricading themselves inside Hamilton Hall.
REUTERS
Carlson is currently on trial for his participation at Hamilton Hall and for allegedly snatching an Israeli flag from a Jewish man and burning it during an April 20 protest. He has pleaded not guilty.
Parisi and Curran-Groome filed their own lawsuit against Columbia in February, accusing the school of wrongfully suspending them and kicking them off campus for their political activity.
Miner was expelled from the school in March as part of the university's disciplinary hearings against those who took part in the protest.
The janitors' lawsuit was also filed with the help of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which has also levied a suit against protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The suit accused the National Students for Justice in Palestine, AJP Educational Foundation, Inc., Faculty for Justice in Palestine Network, WESPAC Foundation and People's City Council of coordinating attacks against Jewish students and denying them equal access to campus.
'Protesters designated teams of security personnel armed with wooden planks, makeshift shields, pepper spray, tasers, and even a sword to man 'checkpoints' and 'human phalanxes' designed to intimidate Jewish and Israeli students and faculty,' the suit states.
