Unique | Cornell prof who lauded Hamas assault as ‘exhilarating’ is again in school after dodging punishment

The unconventional Cornell College prof who lauded the Hamas terror assault on Israel as “exhilarating” and “energizing” dodged any punishment and is now again instructing on the upstate Ivy League college.

Shamed historical past Professor Russell Rickford was out for the previous yr on “voluntary depart” after widespread public outcry when he was recorded at an off-campus anti-Israel rally cheering Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis.

““It was exhilarating, it was energizing ….I used to be exhilarated,” Rickford stated on the time — earlier than apologizing for applauding the mass homicide of harmless civilians.

Rickford is now instructing not less than two programs at Cornell this semester — African People Imaginative and prescient of America and Socialism in America — and a seminar.

Cornell confirmed in a press release to The Submit on Sunday that the college didn’t self-discipline Rickord for his hateful remarks.

It might not say whether or not Rickford was paid whereas on depart.

Rickford’s feedback have been condemned by the administration on the time as “reprehensible” for displaying a “full disregard for humanity” — however they’re nonetheless protected by his free-speech rights, stated Cornell VP of College Relations Joel Malina.

“Provided that Professor Rickford’s feedback have been made as a non-public citizen in his free time, the college’s educational management has concluded that Professor Rickford’s conduct in relation to this incident didn’t meet that prime bar” to warrant in any other case, Malina stated in his e-mail.

Outrage was swift.

“It’s ridiculous,” stated Amanda Silberstein, a 21-year-old junior who’s vp of Chabad and Cornellians for Israel.

“Letting his actions go unpunished will enable different professors to comply with go well with with out repercussions. It permits [Rickford] and different professors to indoctrinate college students within the classroom,” she stated.

“Cornell’s insurance policies are laughable at finest.”

Cornell, although a non-public college, receives $127 million in state funding to assist fund the 4 State College of New York colleges it operates, based on a earlier Submit evaluation.

Antisemitism has been so widespread on New York’s school campuses for the reason that Mideast battle started that Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the state’s former chief choose, Jonathan Lippman, to conduct an unbiased overview of the scenario. His report is predicted to be launched inside weeks.

As for Rickford, upstate Rep. Claudia Tenney stated she is sending a letter to Cornell interim President Michael Kotlikoff to protest his return.

“I’m deeply disgusted by Cornell’s determination to proceed using Mr. Rickford after his horrific statements that celebrated the homicide of harmless individuals and incited violence,” Tenney stated within the letter supplied to The Submit.

“No matter one’s views on the Israeli-Palestinian battle, the lack of human life, particularly the lives of girls, youngsters, and the aged, together with Holocaust survivors, ought to by no means be known as `energizing’ or `exhilarating,’ ” the pol stated.

“Professor Rickford holds a place throughout the college that permits him to mould and affect younger minds. This place calls for a better customary of conduct, one that’s free from anti-Semitic rhetoric and vocal help of terrorism. By perpetuating these abhorrent views, Professor Rickford has not solely violated his moral accountability as an educator, however has additionally jeopardized the security of the Jewish group and tarnished Cornell.”

Benjamin Malaken, president of the coed Middle for Jewish Life at Cornell, stated, “I don’t suppose somebody who makes these feedback needs to be educating college students.

“It’s not applicable that he’s instructing.”

Mark Treyger, government director of the Jewish Group Relations Council of New York, stated permitting Rickford to return “is loopy!

“Educators have a authorized and ethical obligation to make sure all of their college students are secure and supported of their lessons. This professor failed on each fronts when he proudly and overtly glorified the worst bloodbath in opposition to Jews for the reason that Holocaust, which included the slaughter and abduction of college-aged younger individuals,” stated Treyger, a former historical past instructor and Brooklyn metropolis councilman who chaired the Schooling Committee.

“He has no enterprise working in a classroom with college students ever once more. Interval,” he stated of Rickford.

Hochul, who is taken into account a part of Cornell’s board of trustees by means of her place as governor, was requested by The Submit by means of a rep whether or not she thought it was applicable for Rickford to return to Cornell.

The consultant responded in an e-mail, “Governor Hochul has repeatedly condemned the brutal Hamas terror assaults of October seventh and believes any glorification of that brutality is outrageous and unacceptable.

“The Governor has directed public faculties and universities to guard college students from vile antisemitic harassment and violence, and lately convened leaders from private and non-private establishments to induce them to maintain all college students secure.”

 In Cornell’s assertion to The Submit, the varsity veep, Malina, famous that Rickford apologized for his feedback and took a voluntary depart of absence for the rest of the educational yr.

However the college decided that Rickford’s hateful feedback finally didn’t warrant disciplinary motion, given, “In step with well-established ideas of educational freedom, Cornell has a course of for contemplating whether or not public statements resembling these expressed off campus by Professor Rickford at a political rally fall beneath the class of protected speech, or fairly show prohibited bias, discrimination, or harassment,” Malina wrote.

Rickford declined a Submit electronic mail request for remark.

Cornell was stricken by antisemitism and fiery anti-Israel protests and encampments at its leafy Ithaca campus final college yr, together with different campuses. One scholar, Patrick Dai, pleaded responsible to posting antisemitic threats on the college’s web site.

The protests aren’t going away. Anti-Israel vandals defaced a campus constructing on the primary day of lessons final month.