Jewish Columbia University student who was suspended for using 'fart spray' sues the school as president doubles down on allowing Palestine protesters

A Jewish Columbia University student is suing the school, claiming he was wrongfully suspended for using 'fart spray' at an anti-Israel protest in January. 

The student, identified as 'John Doe' in court documents sprayed brands such as 'Liquid A**' and 'Wet Farts' into the air during the January 19 demonstration on campus, according to the lawsuit. 

Members from two groups on campus, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, claimed that two men sprayed them with a foul smelling chemical outside of Low Library, the New York Post reported.

The members claimed that the 'fart spray' that 'stink-bombed' them caused headaches, nausea and fatigue, according to court records. 

A photo of two men at the protest circulated on social media, though it is unclear if they were the ones accused of spraying the smelly chemicals. 

It is also unclear if one of the men pictured is the plaintiff who was suspended. 

A Jewish Columbia University student is suing the school after being suspended for using 'fart spray' at an anti-Israel protest after an image of two men (pictured) went viral though it is unconfirmed if the men pictured were involved

Members from two groups on campus, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, claimed the the men sprayed them with a foul smelling chemical outside of Low Library during the January 19 demonstration

 The lawsuit was filed just one day before Columbia University President Nemat Shafik testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee about rampant anti-Semitism remarks on campus

The lawsuit was filed just one day before Columbia University President Nemat  Shafik testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee about rampant anti-Semitism remarks on campus. 

The student that sued the Ivy League university was a member of the Israeli military, Jeff Litchman, the student's lawyer, told the New York Post. 

Litchman added that his client was suspended for a year and a half following the alleged incident. 

'As a result of Columbia’s flawed and biased investigation and adjudication process, Plaintiff was found responsible for disruptive behavior, harassment, and endangerment, and sanctioned to suspension from the University, forever marring his educational file with an improper finding of responsibility,' the lawsuit said.  

Students who claimed they were sprayed with the smelly chemicals said the scent resembled 'raw sewage' and 'dead mouse,' the lawsuit said.

The students filed reports with campus public safety, but declined counseling, medical evaluations, and psychological services, according to the lawsuit.  

They added that the unidentified men acted 'especially aggressive' toward students that held signs that said 'Jews for ceasefire.' 

'[The] plaintiff’s actions were a harmless expression of speech to demonstrate discontent with the pro-Hamas pro-Palestine message through the use of a gag gift, and nothing further,' the lawsuit said. 

After the protest, the university charged the plaintiff with harassment, disruptive behavior, and endangerment, the lawsuit said. 

Pro-Palestinian students take part in a protest in support of the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at Columbia University in New York City

The recent lawsuit against Columbia accused the school of a breach of contract under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, New York Executive Law, New York Civil Rights Law, and New York City Administrative Code. 

It also said the plaintiff has received death threats on social media since the incident which has made him 'distance himself from loved ones,' and forced him to vacate his apartment. 

'Students have doxed Plaintiff on social media and also created fake FBI 'wanted’ posters with Plaintiff’s face stating Plaintiff is ‘armed and dangerous,’ creating a hostile environment for Plaintiff and creating a grave safety risk if Plaintiff were to return to campus,' the lawsuit said. 

The university's student paper, Columbia Daily Spectator, has since contacted 18 students who reportedly experienced the foul smell. 

Another 10 students told the outlet they experienced various symptoms from the 'fart spray', including headaches, nausea and burning eyes. 

Three students sought medical attention, while eight of them reported that their personal belongings were damaged from the spray. 

One student, Layla Saliba, told the Columbia Daily Spectator that doctors have since diagnosed with 'exposure to a harmful chemical' which has forced her to miss class 'for a few days' due to 'severe pain.' 

'To date, there has been no medical or physical evidence to support the assertions of any of the students that claimed they were harmed and/or impacted by the spray,' the lawsuit stated. 

'Indeed, the spray is harmless, non-toxic, and can be purchased by anyone on Amazon.' 

During Shafik's hearing on Wednesday, the Ivy League chief defended the 'peaceful' demonstrations and the students' right to free speech in the surge of anti-Semitic rhetoric since the start of the Gaza war. 

House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., accused Columbia's leadership of refusing to 'enforce their own policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus, creating a breeding ground for antisemitism and a hotbed of support for terrorism from radicalized faculty and students.' 

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, told Shafik that the experience of Jewish students at Columbia reminds him of the 'hated and bigotry' he experienced in the 1960s deep south, referring to one professor at the Ivy League calling the October 7 attack 'awesome.'

Shafik insisted she has aggressively worked to combat antisemitism on campus, including holding over 200 meetings on the topic, holding daily meetings of the campus security team and working with the NYPD and FBI when hate crimes occur on campus. 

She said the 'vast majority' of protests on campus have been 'peaceful' and said the college is focused on upholding free speech, but 'cannot and shouldn't tolerate abuses this pledge to harass and discriminate.'

Hundreds of Columbia University students staged a sit-in on campus in 'solidarity in Gaza' as President Minouche Shafik testified before Congress about anti-Semitism on Wednesday 

Students began setting up tents around 4am, and as of noon, it remained unclear who organized the sit-in

While Shafik testified before congress, hundreds of students staged a sit-in on campus in 'solidarity in Gaza.' 

Students began setting up tents around 4am on Wednesday, and as of noon, it remained unclear who organized the sit-in, but students with SJP (Students for Justice for Palestine) and PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation) were spotted on the ground.

Videos showed the students on the main campus. It also showed officials handing out papers to the students and telling them if they didn't leave by midday they would face suspension. 

Only 30 minutes after the protesters pitched their tents, a NYPD vehicle drove into the campus before representatives arrived to ask the students to evacuate. 

'The presence of tents on South Lawn is a safety concern and a violation of university policies,' a university spokesperson wrote in a statement. 

'We are informing the students they are in violation of university policies and for their own safety and for the operation of the university they need to leave.'