The College Fix

Federal agency is investigating janitors’ complaint, including injuries they allegedly sustained from the protest

Two Columbia University janitors who were inside when pro-Palestinian protesters took over a campus building last spring said they had to fight their way out, according to a new report.

The New York Post reported new details about the April 29, 2024 protest this week based on a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The federal agency is investigating the complaint from Lester Wilson and Mario Torres, custodial staff at the Ivy League university, according to the report.

In the complaint obtained by the NY Post, Wilson and Torres said pro-Palestinian protesters “trapped” them inside the building; they had to fight their way out and sustained injuries and mental trauma as a result.

“Masked intruders obstructed Mr. Torres’ path at every turn,” according to the complaint. “Mr. Torres had no idea that all the while rioters had been zip-tying shut the exits on the ground floor of Hamilton Hall.”

The NY Post reports more:

Rioters had moved vending machines and zip-tied doors to barricade the exits and entrances. After deciding he was out of options, Torres decided to battle his way through the mob.

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

During that confrontation, Torres was repeatedly struck on his back by other rioters. After repeatedly navigating to blocked-off exits, he eventually found a way out that had been blocked by zip ties and a bike lock. Following his pleas, one of the rioters cut the zip ties and let him out.

Wilson had been separated from Torres during the havoc and had quickly tried to escape after determining the rioters were taking over. During his scramble to get out, rioters smashed furniture into him and pushed him repeatedly, per the complaint.

Later, police arrested more than 100 protesters and cleared out Hamilton Hall. Protesters had smashed windows, broken through doors, and barricaded themselves inside, the Columbia Spectator reported at the time.

The janitors also allege university leaders ignored repeated acts of vandalism since the fall of 2023. This included “dozens” of swastikas that they had to clean off buildings, according to the NY Post:

“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.”

Given the fact that Columbia University requires an electronic ID to gain entrance to Hamilton Hall, which is nestled on the school’s Morningside Heights campus, and the fact that the building was equipped with security feeds, the two janitors felt the authorities could’ve tracked down the perpetrators.

They had reported the deluge of antisemitic, sexually obscene and racist graffiti at Hamilton Hall to campus security and concluded there was “no reason to believe” Columbia University “investigated any of the incidents” that had been flagged.

In one instance, around Dec. 6, 2023, Torres and Wilson observed masked protesters storm through Hamilton Hall chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and scrawling swastikas as well as other obscene graffiti in the building.

A union leader for the custodians described the protesters as “smarmy, sort of entitled, spoiled, bratty occupiers” in a May 2024 interview with Fox News.

“The entire TWU workforce in the building was fearful and rightfully so,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said at the time. “They stormed in … but two of the custodians had to fight their way out. They were explicitly told ‘You’re staying here, you’re not going anywhere, this cause is bigger than you.’”

MORE: Columbia expels, suspends anti-Israel students who seized building last spring

IMAGE: Pro-Palestinian activists protest outside a building at Columbia University. Palestine SWG/Instagram

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