Columbia University Settles Wrongful Suspension Case

Columbia University will pay $395,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a Jewish student wrongfully suspended for using a harmless fart spray during a protest against U.S. support for Israel. Initially labeled a chemical attack, the spray, bought from Amazon, caused several students to experience nausea and other symptoms, prompting investigations by the university and NYPD into possible hate crimes. The interim provost described the incident as 'deeply troubling,' but subsequent reports criticized the university's response as disproportionately punitive towards the Jewish students involved. A report from the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce highlighted that Columbia allowed a misleading narrative to persist, unfairly targeting Jewish students. The student who filed the lawsuit asserted that the use of the spray was a harmless expression of speech and expressed discontent with the settlement, referring to the incident as an assault. This case reflects ongoing tensions on college campuses regarding protests related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.