Patrick Mahoney, an instructor at Washington State University, was arrested for allegedly assaulting student Jay Sani over a “Make America Great Again” hat on February 28. The police report states Mahoney grabbed the hat, threw it into the street, and assaulted Sani, who suffered injuries during the altercation. Another individual, Gerald Hoff, also participated in the attack. Following investigations, both Mahoney and Hoff were charged with fourth-degree assault. Mahoney has since been fired, while Hoff lost his teaching assistant role. The incident highlights rising political tensions on campus as Sani emphasized the importance of First Amendment rights in a subsequent Facebook post.
In February, a Washington State University instructor was arrested for allegedly assaulting a student who was wearing a red “Take America Back” hat related to President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, according to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital.
Patrick Mahoney, the instructor in question, reportedly walked past Jay Sani, a student at the university, shortly before 11 p.m. on February 28, at which point he allegedly grabbed Sani’s hat and tossed it into the street, according to a Pullman Police Department incident report.
Following this, Mahoney allegedly taunted Sani with, “Go get it, b—-,” as noted in the report.
Sani told officers that he was on his way to a nearby restaurant off campus to rectify an incorrect food order when he had the encounter with Mahoney.
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Patrick Mahoney was reportedly an instructor and PhD student at Washington State University. (David Ryder/Getty Images, File)
Sani stated that when he attempted to defend himself, another individual, later identified as Gerald Hoff, “grabbed Sani and took him to the ground.”
Sani accused Mahoney of seizing his head and slamming it onto the ground, leading to a laceration on his elbow and multiple bruises.
The police report noted that Mahoney later admitted to officers that he had punched Sani in the jaw while he was on the ground, while Hoff stated he had punched Sani in the leg.
Several witnesses informed the police that they observed one man pushing another, who was wearing a Trump hat, throwing food in his face before knocking him down.
Mahoney allegedly grabbed a red Trump hat, similar to the ones seen above, and threw it into the street. (Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images, File)
Following the incident, Pullman police officers swiftly began their investigation, locating both Mahoney and Hoff in downtown Pullman.
The report indicated that Mahoney told officers he saw “ol’boy,” referring to Sani, on campus.
Mahoney remarked, “I’ve seen this guy, f——, on campus before,” without explicitly naming Sani. “I know he’s like f—— Right Wing dude. He’s got a f——, like, Make America Great Again hat.”
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He further asserted, “You know, you’re f—— wearing that hat, you wanted someone to f—— look at it, right?”
Mahoney continued, “You wanna wear the hat, hey, there’s gonna be a price to pay.”
When Sani initially reported the alleged assault to police, he acknowledged that the red Trump hats “incite certain feelings in people,” as noted in the report. The officer responded by asserting that Sani should be allowed to wear whatever he chose.
Mahoney informed officers that his actions towards Sani mirrored how others approach him to antagonize him about his political stance, according to the police report.
Upon being questioned if Sani had provoked him before the altercation, Mahoney replied “no.”
President Donald Trump popularized the slogan and red hats during his three presidential campaigns. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
Both Mahoney and Hoff were arrested and charged with 4th degree assault. They were subsequently released.
Mahoney is stated to be a WSU instructor and a PhD student in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, as reported by the Daily Evergreen. Following this incident, Mahoney was suspended and removed from all teaching responsibilities at the university.
A spokesperson for the university stated to Fox News Digital that following the police department’s investigation into the incident, the staff member had been terminated. A second individual involved, who was a graduate student acting as a teaching assistant, was also relieved of all teaching duties. The university did not disclose the identities of either individual.
The spokesperson further indicated that no additional details regarding the incident would be released due to compliance with federal privacy regulations.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact Mahoney through the listed email address, but did not receive an immediate response.
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Sani expressed in a Facebook post in March that he wished to share his story due to the “toxic atmosphere” attributed to the left.
“To clarify, I hate to say this, but I’m [sic] brown, but forget it,” he wrote. “I’m an engineering student aiming to earn my degree and move forward. So what if I support someone you dislike? We have the 1st amendment, and it’s [sic] not acceptable that just because you oppose that person, I should face attack for it. You had the opportunity to vote him out in November, but you failed to do so.”