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A Columbia University student who served in the Israeli military is suing the Ivy League institution after he was suspended for using “fart spray” during a pro-Palestinian protest. The student also accuses the school of selectively enforcing its policies to protect students.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in New York and claims that the student, known as “John Doe,” previously served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The complaint said the university was quick to punish the plaintiff for his conduct at a demonstration, while turning a blind eye to pro-Palestinian demonstrations filled with anti-Semitic rhetoric, according to the complaint.
The student, described as a Hispanic Jewish immigrant with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, attended a Jan. 19 “divest now” rally held on campus.
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“As a harmless expression of his speech, he sprayed into the air a novelty, non-toxic ‘fart’ spray called ‘Liquid A–‘ and ‘Wet Farts’ that he purchased on Amazon for $26.11,” the lawsuit states. “Almost instantly, the University moved quickly to silence the complainant, temporarily suspending him from the University and releasing a statement to the university community accusing the complainant of a hate crime and seriously endangering his safety.”
When the student sought help from the school after receiving anti-Semitic and death threats, Columbia remained silent, according to the lawsuit. Furthermore, they have deceived him and branded him a criminal.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff also had to leave his apartment and distance himself from his loved ones.
Days after the spraying incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul backed an NYPD investigation into the matter.
“They’re doing the right thing to find out exactly what happened and get all the facts,” he said. “And if necessary, I want the perpetrator to be charged with a hate crime, or at least some type of assault, because that is not acceptable.”
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In addition to the suspension and investigation into the matter, the complaint lists a series of alleged anti-Semitic incidents at the school dating back decades and accuses university administrators of failing to protect Jewish students following the Hamas attack on Israel. on October 7. In the months since, anti-Israel protests have taken place on campus, where protesters have called for an “intifada,” a “Jewish genocide,” while chanting various anti-Semitic slogans.
After the spraying incident, Columbia’s interim chancellor, Dennis Mitchell, issued a community-wide memo saying that the NYPD was investigating what appeared to be “serious crimes, possibly hate crimes.”
Mitchell also said some students sought medical treatment after receiving some of the spray.
“Columbia pro-terrorist students’ claim that they were sprayed with a ‘biochemical weapon’ in a ‘terrorist attack’ was a lie. They were sprayed with a novelty $10.99 fart spray on Amazon,” the attorney said. student, Jeffrey Lichtman. FoxNewsDigital.
Students who claimed to have been injured raised thousands of dollars after creating fundraising pages, according to the complaint. Columbia’s reaction to the incident and subsequent “biased investigation” has “seriously delayed” the suspended student’s graduation date and will “permanently affect and derail her future,” the lawsuit states.
The student is seeking unspecified damages. A university spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit to Fox News Digital, citing its policy on pending litigation.
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