Two maintenance workers at Columbia University recently settled a complaint after alleging they were held hostage by anti-Israeli protesters during riots last year. Leicester Wilson and Mario Torres reached an undisclosed settlement with the university shortly after Columbia announced a $220 million agreement with the Trump administration concerning civil rights violations and discriminatory practices to regain federal funding.
The settlement involved $200 million related to a witness claim and another $20 million for employees said to be victims of civil rights abuses. Following the incident, Wilson and Torres filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), leading to a civil rights investigation of the university.
These two workers are also pursuing lawsuits against 40 protesters, who they claim took them captive inside Hamilton Hall. They allege that, during a protest on April 29, 2024, the demonstrators attacked the building, which led to an assault against them. According to their allegations, the protesters instilled fear, assaulted, and verbally abused the workers.
During the chaos, attempts by administrators to safeguard Hamilton Hall resulted in the staff being called derogatory names. While the protesters were inside, they renamed the building “Hinds Hall.”
Before taking over Hamilton Hall, the protesters had made threats and engaged in behaviors like harassment and intimidation against any employees they felt were obstructing their plans. According to the lawsuit, it was reported that at one point, Torres had to use a fire extinguisher in self-defense after being attacked, while furniture was used to push Wilson back.
One masked individual allegedly threatened Torres, saying he would take him down with a group of twenty. Both custodians claim to have endured physical injuries and PTSD from the experiences. They have reportedly returned to work after the incident, but frustration about the university’s lack of immediate action against the riots remained. The New York Police Department later cleared the building and arrested over 100 individuals involved in the protests.
It’s worth noting that Torres expressed dissatisfaction with the university’s response during the protests; he felt that the lack of decisive action was infuriating. In the heat of that frustrating situation, he even resorted to erasing chalk from the classroom to limit any writing opportunities for the protesters.
Columbia University has been contacted for further comment regarding the complaints and the ongoing legal matters surrounding this incident.
