The Indian couple who won a $200,000 settlement over 'food racism' at US university

January 21, 2026

Two Indian PhD students at the University of Colorado, Boulder have won a $200,000 settlement after alleging discrimination that began when a staff member complained about the smell of palak paneer being heated in a microwave. The students claim they faced escalating retaliation including loss of research funding, teaching positions, and PhD advisors after the initial incident and subsequent complaints. While the university denied liability and settled to avoid prolonged litigation, it agreed to award the students their degrees but banned them from future enrollment or employment there.

Who is affected

Aditya Prakash (PhD student in Anthropology)
Urmi Bhattacheryya (PhD student and Prakash's fiancée)
A British staff member at the University of Colorado, Boulder
Graduate students, faculty, and staff in the Anthropology Department
Indian and South Asian communities who have experienced similar discrimination
Communities from Africa, Latin America, and other parts of Asia who face food-related discrimination

What action is being taken

The University of Colorado, Boulder's Anthropology Department is working to rebuild trust among students, faculty and staff
Department leaders are meeting with graduate students, faculty and staff to listen and discuss changes
The university is holding individuals accountable who are determined to be responsible for violating policies preventing discrimination and harassment

Why it matters

This case highlights how seemingly minor incidents can reflect deeper patterns of cultural discrimination and xenophobia in academic institutions. It demonstrates how food, as a core element of cultural identity, can be weaponized to marginalize and "other" people from different ethnic backgrounds. The lawsuit has sparked important conversations about "food racism" that extends beyond Indian communities to affect various ethnic groups globally, revealing how discrimination operates through everyday actions like policing what foods people can heat in shared spaces. The case also illustrates the precarity faced by international students who can lose funding, academic positions, and career opportunities when they challenge discriminatory treatment.

What's next

According to the settlement terms, Prakash and Bhattacheryya will receive their degrees but are banned from studying or working at the university in the future. The students have returned to India and say they might never go back to the US.

Read full article from source: BBC