A 34-year-old former teaching assistant at Washington State University has been sentenced to a week in jail for an incident involving another student wearing a political hat.

Patrick Mahoney pleaded guilty to misdemeanor 4th degree assault in Whitman County District Court. The incident occurred on College Hill on February 28, when Mahoney removed a “Take America Back” hat from 25-year-old student Jay Sani and threw it into the street. In response, Sani threw food at Mahoney. Mahoney and another student, 24-year-old Gerald Hoff, then pushed Sani to the ground, and Mahoney punched him.

During the court hearing, Sani spoke about the implications of being assaulted due to political beliefs and requested a maximum sentence of one year for Mahoney. Mahoney expressed regret for his actions but did not apologize.

The prosecutor’s office recommended a week in jail, while Mahoney’s public defender suggested that any jail time be replaced with community service. Judge John Hart ultimately decided on the week-long jail sentence, in addition to a year of probation, an anger management evaluation, and restitution payments. Mahoney must pay $30 to Sani and $556 to the state’s victim compensation fund.

Mahoney is still registered as a WSU student pursuing a doctorate in the School of Politics, but he has lost his teaching position. The case against Hoff was resolved previously through a misdemeanor compromise, resulting in the dismissal of the assault case against him.