Columbia University has decided to pay $395,000 (around Rs 3 crore) to a Jewish student who was suspended unfairly after a protest on campus, which was mistakenly thought to involve a chemical attack. This happened during a rally where about 100 student groups gathered to protest U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. At first, the incident was reported as a “chemical attack,” but it was later discovered that the spray used was actually a harmless fart spray bought from Amazon.

During the protest, several students reported feeling sick with symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, headaches, and irritated eyes. Because of these complaints, Columbia University and the New York Police Department (NYPD) began investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. However, even with these initial worries, school officials later confirmed that the spray was actually harmless.

Jewish students face suspension over false allegations

A report called Antisemitism on College Campuses Exposed, from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education & the Workforce, claims that Columbia University let a false story spread for months, which unfairly targeted Jewish students even after knowing the real facts. At first, two Jewish students connected to the incident were given 18-month suspensions. But after one student filed a lawsuit in April, the university lowered the suspension time and agreed to pay a settlement.

Shay, a Jewish undergraduate student affected by the incident, told the media she had to seek emergency treatment at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital due to severe nausea, loss of appetite, and headaches. She described the settlement as “a slap in the face,” stating, “Assault is assault. If multiple people have to go to the hospital and get diagnosed with chemical exposure, then, ‘Oh, it was just fart spray’ is not really a defence to me.”

Shay was also unhappy about calling protests in support of Palestinians "antisemitic." She felt upset about using the issue of antisemitism to block important activism, especially since her own family has experienced antisemitism in the past.

In a letter to students and faculty, Columbia’s interim provost, Dennis Mitchell, talked about the incident, saying, “A deeply troubling incident occurred on the steps of Low Library on Friday. Numerous Columbia and Barnard students who attended a protest later reported being sprayed with a foul-smelling substance that required students to seek medical treatment."

The makers of the fart spray also warn that the product may cause eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes diarrhoea. They also say it can irritate the breathing system if someone inhales it.