The university issued a rule the day before graduation precluding large objects from entering the graduation tent, but Emma Sulkowicz brought her mattress anyway.
On Monday, campus administration sent an email to students outlining different rules for graduation procedures. It included a line that specifically addressed large objects.
A Columbia Spectator report quoted the email as saying that graduating students "should not bring into the ceremonial area large objects which could interfere with the proceedings or create discomfort to others in close, crowded spaces shared by thousands of people."
The campus newspaper added that there was no evidence of this memorandum being distributed to students in 2014 or 2013.
A university spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, "We communicated to all students that the shared celebratory purpose of Class Day and Commencement calls for mutual respect for the security and comfort of graduating students and their families in attendance."
The spokesperson did not comment on individual students, but added that the administration would not "physically block entry to graduates who are ultimately responsible for their own choices."
The incident sparked a massive movement on Columbia's campus, with other students joining Sulkowicz in solidarity by carrying their own mattresses despite being fined for doing so.
One student group took to projecting signs such as "Columbia Protects Rapists" all over campus buildings the same day prospective students were scheduled to visit.
A federal complaint filed in 2014 launched a Department of Education investigation into Columbia's process of handling sexual assault cases.
Last month, the accused rapist, Paul Nungesser, sued the university for failing to protect him from harassment.
Columbia Student Protesting Rape Carries Mattress To Graduation Despite Ban On "Large Objects"
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