On October 16, 2023, a little over a week after the Hamas atrocities in southern Israel, an associate professor in the History Department at Cornell University named Russell J. Rickford said this to a group of students at a pro-Hamas rally:
“It was exhilarating. It was energizing. And if they weren’t exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated.”
A few days later, Rickford, fearing he had just kicked the bucket on his academic career in a moment of uncontrollable exhilaration at the murder of so many Jews, published this apology in the Cornell Daily Sun:
“I apologize for the horrible choice of words that I used in a portion of a speech that was intended to stress grassroots African American, Jewish, and Palestinian traditions of resistance to oppression. I recognize that some of the language I used was reprehensible and did not reflect my values. As I said in the speech, I abhor violence and the violent targeting of civilians. I am sorry for the pain that my reckless remarks have caused my family, my students, my colleagues and many others in this time of suffering. As a scholar, a teacher, an activist, and a father, I strive to uphold the values of human dignity, peace, and justice. I want to make it clear that I unequivocally oppose and denounce racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, militarism, fundamentalism, and all systems that dehumanize, divide, and oppress people.”
Initially, Cornell University denounced Rickford’s statement as “reprehensible.” However, when asked about Rickford’s employment status on Monday this week, Joel Malina, Vice President for University Relations, offered a statement indicating the remark is now considered protected free speech:
“Consistent with well-established principles of academic freedom, Cornell has a process for considering whether public statements such as those expressed off campus by Professor Rickford at a political rally fall under the category of protected speech, or rather demonstrate prohibited bias, discrimination, or harassment. Given that Professor Rickford’s comments were made as a private citizen in his free time, the university’s academic leadership has concluded that Professor Rickford’s conduct in relation to this incident did not meet that high bar.”
Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), tweeted in response: “He found the 10/7 massacre, rape, and torture of 1,200 civilians as ‘exhilarating.’ Unsurprisingly, he was welcomed back. This is the personification of elite educational rot and antisemitism at the core of so many anti-Israel campus protests.”
He found the 10/7 massacre, rape and torture of 1,200 civilians as “exhilarating.”
Unsurprisingly, he was welcomed back.
This is the personification of elite educational rot and antisemitism at the core of so many anti-Israel campus protests. pic.twitter.com/vqmRCjkbGc
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 16, 2024
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, home to Cornell U, had her office release this at the time of Rickford’s hate celebration: “Gov. Hochul has repeatedly condemned the brutal Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7 and believes any glorification of that brutality is outrageous and unacceptable.”
The NY Post noted (Gov. Hochul, you’ll need more than boilerplate to fight the new Nazis on campus) that although Cornell is a private school, free to hire and fire as it sees fit, the school
receives $127 million in state funding, and urged Hochul to punish Cornell “if she had the moral courage to do something beyond issuing toothless statements.”
“Jews are openly stalked, harassed, intimidated and assaulted on college campuses and elsewhere by the new brownshirts,” the Post editorial concluded. “This madness will only get worse as long as high officials like Hochul refuse to crack down on it. It’s time to show some spine, gov.”
In January, Jon Lindseth, a Cornell Board of Trustees Member Emeritus, urged the university to dismiss then-President Martha Pollack and then-Provost Michael Kotlikoff, citing their alleged failure to condemn antisemitism as the reason for his call. Following Pollack’s retirement announcement, Kotlikoff assumed the role of interim president in July.
