Patrick Mahoney, the former WSU instructor fired for assaulting a student wearing a Trump hat, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault Thursday and will spend a week in jail.
“This is a concerning set of circumstances,” District Court Judge John Hart said. “This is a place where people come from far and wide to assemble and learn, to grow and broaden their perspective, and to engage in healthy debate.”
Jay Sani, the victim, suggested the case go to trial in the Superior Court, saying this case is bigger than one might initially think.
Jay Sani consults with his attorney, Aug. 21, 2025
“On paper, it might sound small, [but] the implication of this event is much bigger than it seems,” Sani said.
Sani said if the case were not moved, it would be “detrimental to the well-being of our country and citizens.”
Mahoney said he regretted his actions.
“Obviously, standing here now, I should have done something different,” Mahoney said. “I was not trying to get into a fight. It was a stupid and impulsive decision.”
The defense initially asked for community service instead of jail time due to Mahoney’s lack of criminal history.
In addition to jail time, Mahoney will pay a $30 restitution fee to Sani and roughly $550 to the state.
Earlier this month, Gerald Hoff, who was with Mahoney, had his fourth-degree assault charge reduced to a misdemeanor. He will pay $150 in restitution fees.
The charges come from an incident late February, where Mahoney, along with Hoff, who also worked at WSU, assaulted Sani, who was a sophomore at the time.
According to the police report, Mahoney grabbed Sani’s pro-Trump hat and threw it on the ground. After Sani threw food at Mahoney, Mahoney and Hoff slammed Sani onto the ground. Sani suffered a cut to the arm.
Police apprehended Mahoney and Hoff later that night. Within weeks of the incident, Mahoney and Hoff were both fired from their jobs at WSU.
This case has received national attention.
Correction: This story originally stated Mahoney would serve a year in jail, we corrected it to say he will spend a week in jail and a year on probation.
