Indian Students Win $200,000 Settlement Over ‘Food Racism’ at US University

Urmi Bhattacheryya and Aditya Prakash take legal action against alleged racial discrimination

A seemingly minor campus incident over reheating a meal in a microwave escalated into a significant civil rights case, resulting in two Indian students securing a $200,000 settlement from a major U.S. university.

Aditya Prakash and his fiancée, Urmi Bhattacheryya, shared with the BBC that they had filed a civil rights lawsuit against the University of Colorado, Boulder, after experiencing a series of “microaggressions and retaliatory actions” following a dispute about microwaving a traditional Indian dish.

The legal complaint stated that the harassment began when a university staff member objected to Prakash warming his lunch—palak paneer, a northern Indian dish made from pureed spinach and paneer, the Indian equivalent of cottage cheese—due to the aroma it produced. This incident sparked a chain of discriminatory behavior, prompting the couple to take formal legal action.

In response to media inquiries, the University of Colorado stated it could not comment on the “specific circumstances” surrounding the students’ claims due to privacy regulations. However, it emphasized its commitment to “fostering an inclusive environment for all students, faculty, and staff regardless of national origin, religion, culture, and other categories protected under U.S. law and university policies.”

“When these allegations were reported in 2023, we treated them with utmost seriousness and followed established, comprehensive procedures to investigate and address them, as we do with all claims of discrimination and harassment. We reached a settlement with the students in September 2025 and deny any liability in this case,” the university added.

For Prakash and Bhattacheryya, the lawsuit was never about financial gain. “Our goal was to highlight that there are consequences for discriminating against Indians for their cultural identity and food habits,” Prakash explained.

The case has garnered extensive media attention in India since first being reported last week. It has sparked discussions on what many are calling “food racism”, highlighting how individuals from Indian and other ethnic backgrounds often face bias and ridicule for their culinary traditions abroad.

Many Indians on social media have recounted their own experiences of facing discrimination over their food choices while living in Western countries. However, observers note that such discrimination is not exclusive to Indians. In India itself, biases around food exist, such as the banning of non-vegetarian meals in several schools and colleges, often due to perceptions of impurity or unsuitability.

Communities from various regions, including Africa, Latin America, and other parts of Asia, have similarly reported feeling shamed for their dietary practices. Individuals from disadvantaged castes and north-eastern states in India, for example, often encounter prejudice based on the types of ingredients they consume, with others commenting negatively on the smell of their meals.

Prakash, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Colorado, revealed that their ordeal began in September 2023. While reheating palak paneer in a campus microwave, a British staff member allegedly described the dish’s aroma as “pungent” and claimed there was a rule prohibiting the heating of foods with strong smells.

“When I asked for clarification about which foods were considered pungent, I was told that sandwiches were acceptable while curry was not,” Prakash said. The vague and selective enforcement of the alleged rule underscored the discriminatory nature of the incident, according to the couple’s lawsuit.

This landmark case has not only brought attention to the subtle and overt forms of discrimination faced by ethnic communities in educational institutions abroad but also opened up broader conversations about inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and respect for diverse food traditions.