The Employee Assembly convened Wednesday on Zoom to discuss outlined policy changes regarding employee expressive activity, possible offers of support for the Abed family and support resources in light of recent tragedies that shook the Cornell community.
Colleen Barry, dean of the Brooks School of Public Policy, led the assembly in a brief presentation from the Cornell Expressive Activity Committee and requested feedback on the committee’s draft report. Barry expressed a framework of freedom of expression and community safety while articulating specific guidelines, disciplinary measures and timely approaches to expressive activity and employee code of conduct proceedings on campus.
The floor was then open to discussion from the assembly on the proposed changes detailed in the draft report. Members posed questions and possible amendments to the draft policy that will be considered as revisions continue to be made. The CEAC hopes to approve a final version of the expressive activity policy in the near future.
Ivàn Solis Cruz, assistant director of Student Services and vice executive chair of the Employee Assembly, asked a question relating to spontaneous protests after noticing that Day Hall was removed as a location of approved expressive activity.
“It’s fair to say that if someone is protesting to be heard, … Day Hall would be the place to [express their dissent] given the fact that senior administrators have offices within that space,” Cruz said.
Assembly member Marcy Benda explained that due to congestion of Day Hall from protests and “union activity,” the CEAC is looking into additional locations, on top of the currently designated protest area in Ho Plaza, to reduce this overcrowding and mitigate any possible safety concerns.
Assembly member Rose Howard asked about the determination of difference between peaceful assembly and civil disobedience and how University leadership views this difference in disruption.
“Civil disobedience is typically [more] disruptive … because in [the case of civil disobedience], ‘time, place and manner’ rules are being violated, and in the [case of peaceful assembly], they wouldn’t be,” Barry said. “We are suggesting that different considerations be given to each.”
Following the discussion on expressive activity, the assembly moved on to brainstorming possible ways to support the family and children of Ahmed Abed, a Cornell Custodian charged with second degree murder after allegedly killing his wife.
Craig Wiggers, the director for finance and administration at Cornell, was close with the Abed family and has taken in its four children, ages 11 to 18. The assembly considered possible ideas to provide support for Wiggers and the Abed children, such as campaigns of support, scholarship proposals or simple acts of generosity like providing food or treats. Many assembly members emphasized being mindful to not overwhelm the family in a time of grief and distress.
Before concluding the meeting, Erika Crawley, chair for the Executive Committee of the Employee Assembly, addressed the importance of utilizing campus-provided resources in light of the many tragic events that have recently occurred on campus. She said that the most important thing for community members to do is attend to their individual wellbeing.
“Remind folks that you make sure to take care of yourself,” Crawley said. “We can’t show up for ourselves, our students or our colleagues if we’re not taking care of ourselves first.”
Rafaela Gandolfo Bustamante ’28 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].