Home / Crime and Justice / Indian Students Win $200K Bias Lawsuit Over Food Smell
Indian Students Win $200K Bias Lawsuit Over Food Smell
14 Jan
Summary
- Two Indian PhD students received $200,000 in a settlement for discrimination.
- The dispute began after a complaint about the smell of Indian food in a microwave.
- The university withheld earned master's degrees before the settlement.
Two Indian PhD students have secured a $200,000 settlement from the University of Colorado Boulder following a civil rights lawsuit alleging discrimination. The dispute ignited in September 2023 when one student was confronted about the smell of palak paneer he was heating in a shared microwave.
The students contended that the university's reaction to their cultural food manifested systemic bias, leading to a hostile academic environment. Following the incident, their master's degrees, earned en route to their PhDs, were withheld, and one student's assistantship was terminated.
By September 2025, the university agreed to the $200,000 settlement, reinstating the students' master's degrees. However, they are now barred from future enrollment or employment at the institution, marking a conclusion to their academic pursuits there.
