![Workers Trapped, Assaulted by Mob [WATCH]](https://www.lifezette.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025.03.17-06.59-lifezette-67d87115e0ea9.jpg "Workers Trapped, Assaulted by Mob [WATCH]")
Columbia University finds itself entangled in yet another federal investigation—this time over civil rights violations alleged by two janitors who say they were trapped and assaulted by an anti-Israel mob during last year’s Hamilton Hall takeover, as reported by The New York Post.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched a probe into the claims of Lester Wilson and Mario Torres, who accuse the Ivy League school of failing to protect them from antisemitic harassment and then retaliating against them for reporting it.
Wilson and Torres, both maintenance workers at Columbia for over five years, were caught in the chaos when radicals stormed Hamilton Hall in April 2024.
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Their complaints, filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, outline months of hostility they endured—ranging from being forced to scrub swastikas off campus walls to being physically attacked by anti-Israel agitators.
Now, as the EEOC digs into the case, the school faces mounting pressure to answer for its inaction.
The trouble began in late 2023, following Hamas’ brutal October 7th attack on Israel. Columbia’s campus, like many others, saw a surge in anti-Israel protests, which quickly spiraled into overt antisemitism.
“You should be found guilty. We as the workers, y’all violated us.” Columbia janitors held hostage by Hamas-supporting students @Columbia express outrage to @TheFP that charges were dropped against the perpetrators. https://t.co/Ka8fVR7Nan
WATCH the aftermath pic.twitter.com/wCmv60A9CO— Canary Mission (@canarymission) June 25, 2024
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According to Wilson and Torres, hate-filled graffiti, including swastikas and obscene messages, covered Hamilton Hall. The two janitors were repeatedly ordered to erase it—only for it to reappear soon after.
Wilson, an African-American man, found the swastikas particularly disturbing. “As an African-American man, he found the images deeply distressing,” his complaint states. Yet despite his reports to supervisors, the university did nothing beyond instructing him to keep scrubbing them off.
Torres, a Latino worker, eventually resorted to throwing away chalk left in classrooms to prevent vandals from rewriting the hate messages. For this, he was reprimanded by his supervisor.
Both men were stunned that Columbia—a school requiring electronic ID access for its buildings—failed to track down the perpetrators.
They reported the graffiti to campus security, yet nothing changed. Instead, they claim they faced a hostile work environment for daring to speak up.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Columbia University Janitor Slams Trust Fund Baby James Carlson into the Wall when Jew-Hating Leftists Stormed Hamilton Hall https://t.co/KbbQqaZKIs
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) May 7, 2024
By spring 2024, the anti-Israel demonstrations escalated into full-blown chaos. Protesters set up encampments across campus, mimicking the conditions of Gaza—complete with antisemitic rhetoric aimed at Jewish students and staff.
Wilson personally witnessed a fellow worker being called a “Jew-lover” while cleaning up one of the encampments.
Then came April 29, when Hamilton Hall was overrun by masked demonstrators. Wilson and Torres, assigned to work inside the building that day, suddenly found themselves at the mercy of an orchestrated mob.
According to Torres’ complaint, masked intruders blocked his path at every turn. As he tried to escape, rioters zip-tied doors shut and barricaded exits with vending machines.
At one point, Torres was violently shoved by a protester who threatened him, saying:
“I’m going to get twenty guys up here to f*ck you up.”
In response, Torres grabbed a fire extinguisher and stood his ground. Meanwhile, others in the mob struck him repeatedly on his back as he fought his way to freedom.
Wilson faced similar violence. As he tried to flee, he was shoved, struck with furniture, and mocked by the rioters. “I work here. Let me out,” he pleaded, only to be taunted with slurs like “You work for the Jews” and “You’re a Zionist.”
Eventually, someone opened a door—only to physically push him out of the building.
The occupation of Hamilton Hall lasted until the NYPD intervened, making over 100 arrests. Columbia, already under fire for allowing antisemitism to fester, was forced to move most classes online as protests raged.
Mario Torres, a janitor at Columbia University, speaks out about the violent mob that stormed Hamilton Hall.
“You don’t expect to go to work and get swarmed by an angry mob with rope, duct tape, masks, and gloves.”
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) May 7, 2024
Now, the EEOC investigation marks yet another blow for Columbia, which is already under federal scrutiny.
President Trump’s administration has cracked down hard on universities harboring antisemitic rhetoric, with his White House cutting over $400 million in funding to Columbia alone.
His administration has also focused on holding the rioters accountable—investigating whether foreign students involved in the chaos should be deported.
One of the key figures behind the Columbia unrest, Mahmoud Khalil, is already in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. The Department of Homeland Security moved to deport him, though the courts have temporarily blocked the effort.
As for Wilson and Torres, their fight is far from over. Represented by former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, they demand justice not just for themselves but for all employees and students caught in the crossfire of Columbia’s radical campus environment.
“Columbia has a legal and moral obligation to protect the civil rights of its students and employees,” Barr said. “It must be held accountable when it fails to do so.”
With the EEOC now digging in, the question remains: Will Columbia finally face consequences for the lawlessness it allowed to fester, or will this just be another chapter in the ongoing saga of Ivy League hypocrisy?
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