Wash. State Instructor And PhD Student Arrested After Assaulting Student Wearing MAGA Hat

A Washington State University instructor and PhD student, Patrick Mahoney, was arrested after allegedly assaulting a student wearing a red “Take America Back” Trump 2024 hat, according to a police report obtained by The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

The victim, Jay Sani, said Mahoney grabbed his hat and threw it, then, along with another suspect, Gerald Hoff, “grabbed Sani and took him to the ground.”

The police report says: “Once on the ground, Mahoney grabbed Sani’s head and slammed it into the ground. Sani then moved his hands to approximately shoulder height and said something to the effect of he put his hands up to not make the fight worse.

Mahoney said to the officer who contacted him: “You know, you’re f**king wearing that hat, you wanted someone to f**king look at it, right?”

“I asked Mahoney what happened tonight. Mahoney said that he saw ‘ol’ boy’ walking around. Mahoney did not name Sani by name but said ‘I’ve seen this guy, f**king, on campus before. I know he’s like f**king Right Wing dude. He’s got a f**king, like, Make America Great Again hat.’”

According to police, Mahoney referred to Sani as “ol’ boy” and admitted to grabbing the hat, saying, “You know, you’re fking wearing that hat, you wanted someone to fking look at it, right?” He claimed Sani “body checked” him, prompting Mahoney to tackle and punch him “to Sani’s jaw.”

Both Mahoney and Gerald Hoff were arrested for assault, according to 770 KTTH. “WSU suspended and removed Mahoney from all classes he previously taught,” The Daily Evergreen reported.

EXCLUSIVE: Frontlines reporter @choeshow has obtained surveillance footage showing Washington State University (WSU) PhD student instructor Patrick Mahoney and WSU employee Gerald Hoff attacking engineering student Jay Sani.

Sani claims that Mahoney and Hoff assaulted him… pic.twitter.com/AhNae3FDMT

— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) April 15, 2025

Mahoney, described as a far-left activist, was suspended and removed from teaching duties. He has a history of union involvement and pro-Palestinian activism, including calls for a Gaza ceasefire.

The KTTH report says that Sani, who says he was bruised, condemned “how toxic the left has gotten.” In a Facebook post, he wrote, “To make it clear, I hate to say this, but i’m [sic] brown, but forget it. I’m an engineering student that wants to get the degree, and move on. So what if I like someone that you don’t like. We have the 1st amendment, and its not okay that just because you don’t like that person, I should be attacked for it. You had a chance in November to oust him, but you didn’t.”