Columbia University faces federal probe over swastika graffiti complaint
Columbia University is under federal investigation for allegedly ignoring complaints about swastika graffiti in Hamilton Hall.
Despite university policies prohibiting vandalism, Columbia administrators reportedly dismissed the graffiti as “free speech.”
Columbia University is currently facing a federal civil rights investigation after school administrators allegedly refused to investigate a complaint about swastika graffiti plastered throughout Hamilton Hall.
The complaint was filed by janitors Mariano Torres and Lester Wilson in October 2024 and detailed an incident from December of 2023, during which Torres and Wilson alleged that multiple protesters ran through the building and “scrawled obscene graffiti, including swastikas,” according to The Washington Free Beacon.
Torres also alleged that “dozens of masked and unmasked demonstrators ran riot through the building shouting, ‘Free Palestine!’ and ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!’” The protesters also “carpeted almost all of Hamilton Hall’s eight floors in leaflets.”
A campus security officer who took pictures of the swastikas and other graffiti for documentation purposes said that protesters had engaged in similar behavior in other buildings on multiple prior nights.
However, Columbia allegedly ignored the complaint because the graffiti was considered to be “free speech” and was “written in chalk and could be erased.”
According to Columbia’s Standards and Discipline policies, “Knowingly or recklessly damaging, vandalizing, destroying, defacing, or tampering with University, public, or private property of another person, is prohibited.”
Torres’ complaint goes on to state that “Columbia did nothing in response to the incident. It did not increase security inside the building. Nor, to Mr. Torres’ knowledge, did Columbia investigate who was responsible for the invasion of Hamilton Hall.”
Torres also alleged that he had previously filed multiple internal complaints about the protesters’ behavior, including one that detailed an incident during which he was physically assaulted by a masked protester. According to Torres, all of these complaints were ignored.
Torres and Wilson are being represented by Torridon, the legal practice created by former attorney general Bill Barr, who criticized Columbia for failing to protect the two janitors.
“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.”
As reported by Campus Reform, Columbia is currently under fire for its policies on anti-Semitism. Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the school has ignored federal requests for the names of students who have recently engaged in pro-Hamas demonstrations.
Leavitt stressed that President Trump “is not going to tolerate that.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Columbia for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.