University Statements

Cornell is aware of antisemitic statements made by a student during a recent media appearance. We condemn these statements specifically, and antisemitism generally, as detestable, ignorant, and fully at odds with the values of the Cornell community.

The student’s public comments invoked hateful generalizations and uninformed tropes with a long, ugly history of harm. We recognize the pain and concern these statements have caused, both within our university and beyond it, and we do not minimize that harm because the speech occurred off campus or outside an institutional setting.

As a university built on the solid foundations of our nation’s democratic freedoms, Cornell has an obligation to fiercely defend freedom of speech—even when we find that speech abhorrent. Like our nation, our university community is diverse across many dimensions: our students, faculty, and staff bring with them many different values, opinions, and beliefs, some of which run directly counter to the core values of Cornell. We cherish both the freedoms, and the responsibilities, of living in a society where freedom of expression is protected, and we take seriously the obligation to educate students to practice respectful civil discourse.

Federal privacy law prohibits Cornell from disclosing specific information regarding our students. Despite the seriousness with which we take this matter, we are not able to make any further comment regarding the actions of this student, or any public statement of the university’s response.

Michael I. Kotlikoff
President, Cornell University