An extremist professor at Cornell University who praised Hamas' terror attacks against Israel as “exhilarating” and “invigorating” has escaped any punishment and now teaches at an Ivy League school in upstate New York.
Disgraced history professor Russell Rickford has been on “voluntary leave of absence” for the past year after he was recorded at an off-campus anti-Israel rally praising the massacre of 1,200 Israelis during the Hamas invasion on October 7, 2023, sparking widespread public outcry.
“It was exhilarating, it was invigorating, it was exciting,” Rickford said at the time. Apologize Glorifying the massacre of innocent civilians.
Rickford is teaching at least two courses at Cornell this semester — African-American views of America and socialism in America — as well as a seminar.
In a statement to The Washington Post on Sunday, Cornell confirmed that the university had not taken disciplinary action against Recode for his hateful comments.
It was not clear whether Rickford had been paid during his leave.
At the time, university officials condemned Rickford's comments as “reprehensible” and showed “a total disregard for humanity,” but his words were still protected by free speech rights, Cornell Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina said.
“Given that Professor Rickford's comments were made as a member of the public in his free time, the university's academic leadership has concluded that Professor Rickford's conduct in this incident does not meet a high enough standard to justify otherwise,” Malina said in an email.
The outrage was immediate.
“It's ridiculous,” said Amanda Silverstein, a 21-year-old junior who serves as vice president of Chabad and Cornell Israel.
“If his actions are allowed to go unpunished, other professors will likely follow suit without retribution. [Rickford] And other professors indoctrinate students in the classroom,” she said.
“Cornell's policy is laughable at best.”
Cornell is a private institution, but receives $127 million in state funding to help fund the four SUNY schools it operates, according to a previous Post analysis.
Anti-Semitism has been rife on New York's college campuses since the start of the Middle East wars, and Governor Kathy Hockle has ordered an independent investigation into the situation by former New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, whose report is due to be released within the next few weeks.
As for Rickford, Rep. Claudia Tenney of upstate New York said she would send a letter to Cornell University's interim president, Michael Kotlikoff, protesting his reinstatement.
“I am deeply outraged by Cornell University's decision to continue employing Mr. Rickford despite his horrific comments, in which he glorified the murder of innocent people and incited violence,” Tenney said in the letter provided to The Washington Post.
“Regardless of one's view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the loss of human life, particularly the lives of women, children and elderly people, including Holocaust survivors, should never be described as 'uplifting' or 'exhilarating,'” the politician said.
“Professor Rickford holds a position at the university that allows him to shape and influence young minds — a position that demands a higher standard of conduct, free from anti-Semitic rhetoric and vocal support for terrorism. By perpetuating these abhorrent views, Professor Rickford not only violated his ethical responsibilities as an educator, he has endangered the safety of the Jewish community and brought disrepute to Cornell University.”
“I don't think someone who makes comments like this should be educating students,” said Benjamin Malaken, director of Cornell University's Student Center for Jewish Life.
“It's inappropriate for him to teach.”
Mark Treyger, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, said allowing Rickford to return would be “madness!”
“Educators have a legal and moral obligation to ensure all students are safe and supported during the classroom. This professor failed on both counts by proudly and openly glorifying the worst genocide of Jews since the Holocaust, the massacre and kidnapping of college students,” said Treyger, a former history teacher and Brooklyn City Council member who served as chairman of the Education Committee.
“He is never fit to work in a classroom with students again. Period,” he said of Rickford.
Hockle, who is considered a member of Cornell's board of trustees in his capacity as governor, was asked through a representative by The Washington Post whether he thought it was appropriate for Rickford to return to Cornell.
A representative responded by email: “Governor Hokru has repeatedly condemned the brutal Hamas terrorist attack of October 7 and considers any glorification of that atrocity to be outrageous and unacceptable.
“The Governor has directed public universities to protect students from vile anti-Semitic harassment and violence, and recently convened leaders of public and private educational institutions to urge them to keep all students safe.”
In a statement from Cornell to The Washington Post, the school's vice president, Malina, said Rickford had apologized for his comments and had taken a voluntary leave of absence for the remainder of the academic year.
But the university ultimately determined that Rickford's hateful comments did not merit disciplinary action because “in accordance with established principles of academic freedom, Cornell has a process for considering whether public comments, such as those made by Professor Rickford at an off-campus political rally, fall within the scope of protected speech or, rather, demonstrate prohibited bigotry, discrimination or harassment,” Malina wrote.
Rickford declined an emailed request for comment from The Post.
Cornell University was plagued by anti-Semitism and violent anti-Israel protests and camps last year on its leafy Ithaca campus and elsewhere, after student Patrick Dye pleaded guilty to posting anti-Semitic threatening messages on the university's website.
The protests have not subsided: On the first day of classes last month, anti-Israel vandals defaced campus buildings.
