Columbia University Janitors Reach Settlement Following Hostage Situation Involving Anti-Israel Protesters

Two maintenance employees from Columbia University who claimed they were taken hostage during an anti-Israel protest and coerced into cleaning swastikas have reached a settlement with the prestigious institution.

Lester Wilson and Mario Torres agreed on a settlement with Columbia University, though the amount was not disclosed. This took place shortly after the university declared a $220 million agreement with the Trump administration to address civil rights breaches and racially biased practices, aiming to resume federal funding, as reported by the New York Post.

The settlement allotted $200 million towards addressing discrimination claims and an additional $20 million to staff who reported experiencing violations of civil rights.

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

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. 

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.