Cornell president claims harassment after allegedly backing car into students
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The president of Cornell University says he was the victim of “harassment and intimidation” after he was accused of attacking individuals with his vehicle during a confrontation in a campus parking lot over student freedom of expression.
The incident emerged on April 30 after Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff introduced an Israel-Palestine discussion series hosted by the Cornell Political Union and co-sponsored by Cornellians for Israel, Cornell Progressives, and Students for Justice in Palestine. a statement Published by Kotlikoff.
As Kotlikoff walked to his car, he said he was followed into the campus parking lot by a group of individuals, both students and non-students, who “were known to Cornell for their past behavior, including a long history of ongoing verbal and online harassment against numerous members of Cornell management and staff.”
Kolitkoff said the group included two people who were banned from campus after a “disruptive protest.”
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Surveillance footage from Cornell University shows President Michael Kotlikoff backing his vehicle toward a group of people surrounding him in a campus parking lot on April 30. (Cornell University)
“These individuals followed me from the venue and across campus while asking questions out loud and recording on their phones. After answering a few questions, I informed them that I did not plan to participate any further and asked them to stop the recording,” Kotlikoff said. he said.
“Their response to that was, ‘No, we’re not going to stop,'” he said. “They continued to follow me to my car and then they surrounded the car, banging on the windows, blocking the front of the car and yelling. I waited until I saw space behind the car and then using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, I was able to slowly maneuver my car out of the parking lot.”
But Democratic Students for Cornell (SDC) member Aiden Vallecillo said he told WSYR Students were trying to question Kotlikoff peacefully before the university president escalated the situation.
“We saw the president in the hallway and started asking him questions about the suppression of free speech on campus,” Vallecillo was quoted as saying.
In video released by the university, Kotlikoff’s black Cadillac can be seen backing out of the parking lot and stopping behind the group’s vehicle.
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Surveillance footage from Cornell University shows President Michael Kotlikoff being followed into a campus parking lot by a group of men on April 30. (Cornell University)
“He immediately started coming towards us while we were still trying to talk to him,” Vallecillo told the press. he said.
The group reportedly claimed Kolitkoff hit a student and ran over Vallecillo’s foot before walking away.
According to Kotlikoff, the group surrounded his vehicle, “banging on the windows, blocking the front of the car, and yelling.”
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“I waited until I saw space behind the vehicle and then using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, I was able to slowly maneuver my car out of the parking space,” Kotlikoff said. he added.
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Sophia Arnold, president of the student group, told WSYR she witnessed the alleged incident and was disturbed by Kotlikoff’s alleged escalation.
“I don’t even have the words to express it. I’m pretty shocked and hurt,” Arnold said. “A random pedestrian coming out of a supermarket car park probably should have been more careful.”
Aerial view shows the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, on April 11, 2023. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg)
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Arnold also reportedly disputed Kotlikoff’s version of events.
“Contrary to the university’s statement, we did not intend to block President Kotlikoff’s car,” Arnold told WSYR. “He did not signal, did not honk his horn, and even rolled down the window and said ‘get out of my way’.”
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Details about whether the incident was reported to campus police remained unclear as of Monday.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Cornell University and Students for Democratic Cornell for comment.
