Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Columbia settles $395K lawsuit over ‘skunk spray’ controversy at campus protest, report says
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 31, 2024
Modified Nov 1, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 31, 2024
Modified Nov 1, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Columbia University has reached a $395,000 settlement with a Jewish student who was one of two students suspended after allegedly using a prank “fart spray” during a January campus protest, according to a report released Thursday from the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The incident, which protesters initially reported as a "chemical attack" involving "skunk spray," was later found to involve a non-toxic novelty item, the Republican staff report stated.
The Jan. 19 incident occurred during a rally organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of around 100 student groups protesting U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Some students reported nausea and eye irritation after they were exposed to the spray, which prompted Columbia University and the NYPD to investigate the incident as a potential hate crime.
The incident at the city's only Ivy League university foreshadowed what would become another tumultuous semester marked by student protests around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Although some students labeled the spraying a “chemical attack,” school administrators later confirmed that the spray was, in fact, a “novelty fart spray” purchased on Amazon, according to the report. The report alleges that Columbia “allowed a false narrative used to vilify Jewish students to persist for months despite knowing it was not true.”
Both of the Jewish students involved initially received 18-month suspensions, but one filed a lawsuit in April, leading to a reduction in discipline to probation and a $395,000 settlement payout, the report said.
A Columbia University spokesperson told Gothamist the school is "committed to applying the rules fairly, consistently and efficiently."
"Columbia strongly condemns antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we are resolute that calls for violence or harm have no place at our University," said Millie Wert, the university's assistant director of media relations.
She said the university alerted students that the "foul smelling substance" had in fact been a non-toxic, novelty item.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition of Palestinian students called the settlement “nothing short of appalling and sickening.”
“Palestinian students have repeatedly been profiled, arrested, and suspended for nonviolent actions, including for simply removing Islamophobic posters,” Maryam Alwan, a spokesperson for the organization, told Gothamist.
Alwan said she found “numerous troubling revelations” in the House report.
According to Reuters, "skunk" was developed by an Israeli company and initially deployed by the Israeli military in the West Bank in 2008. The odor intensifies with washing, causing persistent nausea and eye irritation. A 2015 BBC report noted that U.S. law enforcement has since adopted the spray, describing its scent as "worse than raw sewage" and comparing it to "a mixture of excrement, noxious gas and a decomposing donkey."
The House committee suggested that Columbia’s handling of the incident reflects a broader trend among universities to “appease the unlawful encampment occupiers with shocking concessions instead of enforcing their rules.” The report also documented similar incidents at other institutions, including Northwestern, UCLA and Harvard.
Earlier this month, hundreds of students walked out of classes to mark the anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict, part of a larger wave of protests at colleges across the city. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced her resignation over the summer, describing “a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”
This story has been updated with comment from Columbia.
Tagged
new york city
education
public safety
manhattan
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman spar over immigration, cost of living in debate
The Democratic incumbent repeatedly invoked President Donald Trump. The Republican challenger largely avoided bringing up New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 9:05 p.m. ET
Manhattan neurologist charged with sexually abusing 2 patients, DA says
Prosecutors say Dr. Tariq Lamki abused two patients during appointments at a medical practice near Stuyvesant Town.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Manhattan neurologist charged with sexually abusing 2 patients, DA says
Prosecutors say Dr. Tariq Lamki abused two patients during appointments at a medical practice near Stuyvesant Town.
By
Giulia Heyward
Years of bus headaches start Thursday as Port Authority advances Midtown terminal work
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Carol Chen
ICE admits to using Roxbury, NJ warehouse site to process immigrants
By
Mike Hayes
Dolan's offer: Donations to Blakeman for Knicks tickets
By
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .