You remember Emma Sulkowicz, aka “Mattress Girl," don’t you?”  She accused fellow student Paul Nungesser of what these days is termed “gender-based misconduct,” but which seems to be really just rape, or maybe sexual assault, if a jury so found. But after a thorough investigation by University authorities, Nungesser was exonerated.

Sulkowicz did not accept the judgment, and, as the Columbia Spectator put it:

Sulkowicz protested that finding in her senior art thesis, “Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight),” in which she carried a mattress with her at all times in a critique of the University’s decision not to discipline Nungesser. The thesis made national headlines, and Sulkowicz spearheaded a national student-led push for a reformed gender-based misconduct process.

Sulkowicz became an international celebrity, carrying her mattersss around the Columbia campus.

As a result of the ridicule and abuse directed his way:

Nungesser’s suit charged that the University failed to protect him from—and even encouraged—sustained protest by Sulkowicz, which Nungesser initially argued was a violation of Title IX.

Perhaps offering Sulkowicz academic credit for her daily harassment was not such a good idea, and allowing the graduation ceremony to be disrupted ought to have been reconsidered.

Here is what we know of the settlement, the exact terms of which are apparently confidential, via The College Fix:

The administration emailed The College Fix a statement late Thursday night:

Paul Nungesser and Columbia University have agreed to settle the lawsuit he filed in 2015.

While Paul was a student at Columbia, he was accused of sexual misconduct. In November 2013, after a diligent and thorough investigation, Paul was found not responsible for any misconduct. Columbia University stands by that finding.

In 2015, Paul graduated from Columbia in good standing as a distinguished John Jay Scholar. John Jay Scholars, like Paul, are recognized for their remarkable academic and personal achievements, dynamism, intellectual curiosity, and original thinking. Paul is currently enrolled at an internationally recognized film school and has launched a career as a filmmaker.

Columbia recognizes that after the conclusion of the investigation, Paul’s remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him and not what Columbia would want any of its students to experience. Columbia will continue to review and update its policies toward ensuring that every student––accuser and accused, including those like Paul who are found not responsible––is treated respectfully and as a full member of the Columbia community.

Columbia “recognizes” that “Paul’s remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him”! That is as close to an apology and a confession as it gets.  A young man’s college experience was ruined and the University offered academic credit for the exercise. Apparently, the monetary consideration supplied what words did not. My guess is mid-six figures, minus a third for the lawyers.

Scott Greenfield, an attorney that has followed the case posted some informative tweets:

Breaking: Columbia settles with Nungesser. Good money and a half-assed apology. https://t.co/EKvHat7eM0

— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) July 13, 2017

Mattress Girl became a porn star, Nungesser became a John Jay Scholar with a nest egg, courtesy of Columbia University. https://t.co/baIGKtuKfD

— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) July 13, 2017

May this signal the return swing of the pendulum on campus, where possession of a Y chromosome has meant automatic guilty status, even when a girl regrets the favors she bestowed the night before and decides to blame the male for her poor choice.  The entire process of adjudicating sexual complaints on campus has devolved into kangaroo courts, in all too many cases. So much so that new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is conspicuously “listening” to all sides and considering what is to be done about the awful “Dear Colleague letter” that set off this wave of frenzy. The Chicago Tribune explains:

In 2011, the Obama administration issued a 19-page "Dear Colleague" letter that urged colleges to more aggressively investigate those allegations and to encourage victims to come forward. The administration warned schools they could forfeit millions in federal funding if they remained lax.

Using a letter avoided going through the process of bureaucratic rule-making, which would involve allowing for comments and maybe even hearings, much less actually passing a law. There would be far too much public knowledge and accountability that way. It was a sneaky, high-handed way to accomplish the same goal, by threatening the lifeblood of colleges: govenment money.

Higher education is probably the most heavily-subsidized industry in this country, ahead of Tesla Motors. Threaten federal funding and the educrats pay attention:

That federal scrutiny produced results: In May 2014, 55 colleges were under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for their handling of sexual violence cases. Three years later — that is, as of July 12 —there were 344 such cases under investigation at 242 institutions.

Sulkowicz, of course, received massive support from the Left, and the occasional Woman of Courage award and the like for her harassment campaign. Following graduation, she has become a “performance artist,” as Kyle Smith describes in on NRO:

Emma Sulkowicz, the Columbia University art-department cynosure known as “Mattress Girl,” has become a new Marilyn Manson. Seeking to keep her notoriety alive, she has created a “performance art” piece in which she is tied up in her scanties, hoisted in the air, and beaten for the amusement and edification of spectators. We’ll spare you the pictures. Suffice it to say that if they depicted your daughter, your first thought probably would not be, “My little girl is so empowered.”

For his part, Nungesser is studying filmmaking at an unnamed but well-known school.

I suspect the public will be hearing from both of them in the future. Bitter and angry works better for comely young lasses than aging harridans, in garnering positive attention, as young Emma will find out in the years ahead, unless she wakes up.

Don't worry about Columbia. It has over $9 billion in its endowment, and owns billions more worth of Manhattan real estate among other assets.