Two high-level administrators outlined how the University monitors and disciplines pro-Palestinian activists, including by boosting security and surveillance around campus and “scrutinizing” faculty members’ in-class behavior, in a private Zoom meeting with more than 220 Jewish parents Monday night.
The event, moderated by Rabbi Ari Weiss — Cornell Hillel’s executive director — was a rare opportunity for concerned Jewish parents to probe Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina and Vice President of Student Life Ryan Lombardi about how Cornell is preparing for another semester of campus tumult. Parents sent questions to Weiss, who posed as many of them as he could to Malina and Lombardi throughout the hour-long, town hall-style meeting.
The meeting was open to parents in Hillel’s network who registered via an invitation form.
Monitoring Academics
When Weiss asked about how the University would handle a newly hired professor who in the past “might have said antisemitic things,” Malina used a specific example of a junior faculty member in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who after being hired was found to have retweeted “some troubling posts.”
That professor, whom The Sun identified as Prof. Wunpini Mohammed, communication, has reposted what Malina called “some troubling posts.” The University became aware of these reposts — which include several anti-Zionist messages — only after a formal hiring offer was made this summer.
“There was no reason to withdraw the offer of employment based on that activity,” Malina said, “but her in-class activities will be scrutinized, as will all in-class activities of our faculty.”
Malina clarified that the University will not act as “intrusive, academic police,” but that it ultimately is a privilege to be a Cornell faculty member, which comes with a set of enforceable conduct-related expectations. Mohammed is set to start teaching in Spring 2025.
Weiss asked the administrators about whether instructors who cancel classes to let their students participate in protests would be punished.
“When those incidents happen, there are immediate conversations with the individuals, with the chairs of their department, with the deans of their academic unit,” Malina said. “Those who are confirmed to have done that will face consequences.”
Disciplining Activists
The Monday meeting came as Cornell pursues disciplinary action against nearly 20 pro-Palestine activists who shut down a Sept. 18 career fair featuring defense contractors Boeing and L3Harris. At least one of these protesters, Momodou Taal grad, is an international student who could face deportation.
In the Zoom meeting, Weiss asked why Cornell’s on-campus activist groups have avoided harsh punishment while other universities’ groups have been outright banned.
The administrators explained that the University is disciplining individual students rather than registered student groups because the activists operate under unregistered coalitions.
“They don’t register [their protests],” Lombardi said, referring to the Coalition for Mutual Liberation, an unregistered Pro-Palestinan umbrella organization encompassing over 40 campus and local groups. “Which means much of our accountability is focused on the individuals that are participating in some of the activities, rather than a group.”
Identifying Protesters
“We have implemented a new approach as we renovate buildings, as we build new buildings, to make sure that we are installing cameras,” Lombardi said, responding to a question about how the University is trying to identify activists behind pro-Palestinian vandalism. Lombardi emphasized that cameras would not be placed in private spaces.
Lombardi added that the activists who vandalized Day Hall on the first day of the semester “took great pains” to disguise their identities, and Malina confirmed that these activists remain unidentified. Lombardi did mention, however, that after protesters similarly defaced campus buildings last semester, Cornell conducted “robust investigations” through video footage “to apprehend a good number of them.”
Both administrators conceded that identifying masked pro-Palestinian activists is difficult. Malina explained that Nassau County, the first in the nation to sign a mask ban into law, has faced “strenuous litigation” opposing the measure. He said that after discussing the issue with the Office of General Counsel, he does not expect Cornell to “take on the litigation risk” of introducing a similar ban on non-medical facial coverings.
“Our police are doing some incredible work investigating, even in spite of such facial covering, to help in the identification of individuals,” Malina assured the parents.
Heightened Security
When Weiss asked how the University plans to protect students during the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7, Lombardi told parents that more Cornell University Police Department officers will be on scene and went into detail about Cornell’s long-term plans to ramp up security.
“Our police force is planning for a heightened presence all week long — extra staff, extra patrols all along the way,” Lombardi said. “[CUPD is] definitely very tuned into this and working with their local agency partners as well.”
The University is developing a security force called the Public Safety Ambassadors that will “supplement” the Cornell University Police Department and help guard events, Lombardi said. “It’s a little bit in its infancy, but it will continue to grow in time,” he added. “These are not law enforcement officers, and there’s only a few of them now. But again, it’s just another set of eyes and ears.”
An online job posting describes the Public Safety Ambassadors as emergency responders who patrol campus and are assigned to events as needed.
Lombardi also expressed gratitude to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), who he said has been “very helpful,” sending in state police resources when necessary.
Prof. Russell Rickford
Weiss received several parent questions about Prof. Russell Rickford, history, who has returned to campus following his year-long, voluntary leave of absence. Weiss indicated that there was some confusion among parents about why Rickford has not been punished for his continued involvement in CML protests since his infamous Oct. 15 remarks.
Malina said that Rickford has largely avoided disciplinary action by protesting off campus and outside academic buildings.
“Now, to be clear to all of you, had this happened in a Cornell classroom, this would be a much different conversation,” Malina said of Rickford’s controversial remarks last year about the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel. “Prof. Rickford, for lack of a better word, is very savvy when it comes to staying on this side of our policies,” Malina said.
Rickford’s comments last year, according to Malina, prompted an in-depth inquiry in which the University brought in independent lawyers.
“There was, in the wake of his comments, a formal complaint that was filed, which triggered an exhaustive investigation, one that we engaged outside counsel to assist with over the course of many months,” Malina said. “His behavior that day, his prior activities, both inside and outside the classroom, were very much analyzed.”
Ultimately, it was determined that Rickford’s remarks fell under the banner of protected speech because they were said off-campus, Malina said.
Rickford was at the Sept. 18 pro-Palestinian protest but “very intentionally did not enter The Statler,” where the demonstration became disruptive and shut down a career fair, Malina said.
“Had he, he would have been among those that would have been subject to disciplinary measures,” Malina noted. “But he keeps himself on this side of those considerations.”
Hate Speech and Protected Speech
Weiss questioned the University’s definition of antisemitism, asking whether Cornell has considered adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition, which equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
A theme from the administrators throughout the meeting was that the University would not punish or prevent offensive speech unless it becomes targeted harassment — even if that means letting a hate group onto campus.
At one point, Weiss asked if the administration would allow the Ku Klux Klan in. Malina responded unequivocally: “If there were a faculty member that invited a KKK representative to speak or a student group that invited a KKK representative to speak, yes, we would allow that.”