Remember the Cornell professor who called Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel "exhilarating"? Well, he's back in the classroom, and people are shocked.
History Professor Russell Rickford has returned from a year-long "voluntary leave," now teaching courses on African American history and socialism. His comeback has reignited the firestorm that erupted last fall when he was caught on video praising the deadly Hamas assault.
Cornell's decision to welcome Rickford back without formal punishment has left some students and lawmakers crying foul. Amanda Silberstein, a junior who leads Jewish student groups on campus, didn't mince words: "It's ridiculous," she said, warning that it could open the door to more "indoctrination" in classrooms.
But Cornell is standing its ground. Joel Malina, the university's PR chief, defended the move, citing the holy grail of academia: free speech. Rickford was speaking "as a private citizen," Malina argued, so his comments didn't cross the line into punishable territory.
It's a thorny issue that's got campuses across the country tied in knots: How do you balance free expression with concerns about hate speech and student safety? Governor Kathy Hochul is so worried about rising antisemitism on New York campuses that she's ordered a top-to-bottom review.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican from upstate, isn't buying Cornell's explanation. She fired off a letter to the university's interim president, arguing that professors should be held to a "higher standard." In her view, Rickford's comments put a target on the backs of Jewish students and dragged Cornell's reputation through the mud.
As students settle into the fall semester, the air on campus remains charged. Cornell, like many schools, is still reeling from a year marked by heated protests, vandalism, and threats aimed at Jewish students.
With Professor Rickford back at the lectern, all eyes are on Cornell. How the university navigates this minefield could set the tone for campuses nationwide dealing with similar tensions in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The New York Post contributed to this article.
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