When most of us think of Ivy League universities, images of stately buildings, serene campuses, and brainy students probably come to mind. However, those and many other elite campuses across the nation have been affected by impassioned political controversies, often centered around global conflicts and hotly-contested free speech issues. One such recent alleged confrontation reportedly involved the president of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
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Ivy Beleaguered: Students Reportedly Clashed With Cornell's President
A group of students allegedly accosted Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff in a campus parking lot after an event, per the New York Post. The outlet referred to that event as "an Israel-Palestine debate series." (It took place on Thursday, April 30 at Goldwin Smith Hall, per People.)
Kotlikoff claims that the students surrounded his vehicle, banged on its windows, and would not let him depart. However, one of the students allegedly deliberately stood behind Kotlikoff's car so he could not leave and says Kotlikoff's car "ran over his foot," according to the Post.
Kotlikoff Addressed the Alleged Incident in a Statement
On Friday, May 1, a statement titled "Harassment and intimidation incident at Day Hall" from President Michael Kotlikoff appeared on the university's web site. The lengthy statement reads in part, "Yesterday evening, I introduced an Israel-Palestine debate series event in Goldwin Smith Hall...."
Kotlikoff went on, "As I left the event room, I was accosted by a group of several individuals in the hall, among them students and non-students. These individuals are known to Cornell for their past conduct, including a long history of ongoing verbal and online abuse toward numerous members of Cornell's administration and staff...."
He alleges that he asked the students to stop filming him. Kotlikoff writes that they refused. He additionally claims that they were "banging on the windows [of his car], blocking the car, and shouting." Furthermore, Kotlikoff then states, "I waited until I saw space behind the car and then, using my car's rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, was able to slowly maneuver my car from the parking space and exit the parking lot."
Kotlikoff ended his statement with this. "The behavior I experienced last night is not protest. It is harassment and intimidation, with the direct motive of silencing speech. It has no place in an academic community, no place in a democracy, and can have no place at Cornell."
The Students Also Had Their Say on Social Media
The students, who evidently belong to a group called Students for a Democratic Cornell, released a statement of their own on Instagram. They wrote in part, "On Thursday night, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff hit members of SDC with his car. In the 15-second interaction, he failed to drive responsibly: injuring two students and fleeing the scene without consideration of the students' well-being."
The students' statement challenges Kotlikoff's assertion that they banged on his car "and harassed him." They claim that Cornell's video footage contradicts Kotlikoff's version of events. They also accuse Kotlikoff's administration of a "repressive crackdown on student speech." Their statement ends with a list of demands.
According to People, Cornell University is investigating the alleged incident.
