A Letter: The atmosphere of fear at Cornell University must end
After attacks on a faculty member over comments about Israel’s war on Gaza, teachers and students call on Cornell to take action.
Dear President Martha Pollack, Provost Michael Kotlikoff, Deputy Provost Avery August, Senior Associate Vice Provost Yael Levitte, Assistant Director Gabriela Vargas, and Chairman Kraig Kayser:
This is the year of “Free Expression at Cornell”, a university that also prides itself on its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with our president recently receiving a national diversity award. We are a university with a mission of “Any Person, Any Study”.
But here at Cornell, we do not feel equally protected by the University, and we do not feel equally able to express ourselves. Most recently, we were horrified by the threats made to our Jewish community. We applaud the president for issuing a swift and forceful statement of condemnation. It is this kind of unwavering support that we hope to see for all vulnerable members of the campus community, especially Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and other BIPOC students, staff, and faculty.
In line with the ACLU’s call, we ask that you issue a public statement that focuses on condemning all acts of harassment and intimidation on campus and declares the value of all free speech within “the limits of the law and the University’s anti-harassment policy”, so that we can return to a safe teaching, learning, and working environment. Moreover, we ask that you offer administrative protections against doxxing and implement community care alternatives instead of intensified policing, which has been a touchstone of your response. Free speech for all and a hate-free atmosphere are complementary values to the standing against anti-Semitism initiatives announced by President Pollack on November 1, 2023.
These recent threats are a part of a larger climate of alienation, racism, harassment, intimidation, and doxxing on our campus, and part of wider attempts to divide oppressed peoples. We call on the president to condemn this climate of hate and to work proactively to restore the value of free speech and create conditions for furthering understanding. The administration’s lack of an avowal of all of our experiences and rights to expression has left BIPOC and otherwise vulnerable members of our campus community feeling unseen and unsafe.
We have been appalled by anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic posters and a truck vilifying an African-American faculty member, and we feel bereft that this incident has gone unacknowledged by the administration. The president and Board of Trustees chairman’s statements to the campus on October 16 condemned the faculty member and gave cover to the subsequent doxxing.
As the Cornell Chapter of the American Association of University Professors put it in their recent statement, the university’s announcement of an investigation into our colleague’s conduct was a mistake, and it “should have instead declared forthrightly that free speech for all people, on any issue, within ‘the limits of the law and the University’s anti-harassment policy,’ is a core value that the University will defend”.
The administration bears responsibility for the risk, scrutiny, and overall danger, especially for faculty, staff, and students who are BIPOC, international, and otherwise marginalised. Collectively, related to our duties as faculty, staff, and students working on questions of domination and oppression, we have faced: international harassment campaigns, circulation of our personal addresses, unsolicited hate mail, threats to our families, calls for our firing, office vandalisation, the donning of intimidating logos in our classes, photographing and videotaping of our activities on campus, screenshotting and circulating of our classroom communications, charges of reverse racism, threats of poor course evaluations, and an unwillingness to sponsor events on Palestine.
This hostile work environment has had a chilling effect on our research, teaching, and studying. The climate thwarts our educational mission which guarantees “any person, any study”. Many of us are now afraid to speak freely and have resorted to wearing masks to hide our identities on campus.
Without adequate support, some of us have been forced to retreat from the community altogether. Doxxing, intimidation, and harassment are known to inflict mental health, economic, and social damage, often to family members and other innocent victims. Moreover, research shows that those from historically excluded and marginalised communities are more likely to be subject to racist intimidation and threats.
We want to be clear that doxxing and harassment is a collective problem. When one person is targeted, it has a ripple effect. As such, these practices require collective and structural, not individualised, attention and responses. The issue is not limited to those of us who study and teach Israel/Palestine, but also applies to teachers and students of the United States, Russia and Ukraine, China, Nagorno-Karabakh, and elsewhere, as well as colonialism, racism, casteism, militarism, empire, gender/sexuality, democracy/authoritarianism, and other topics related to domination and oppression.
The actions from the university that we would like to see do not include increased policing, security and surveillance, which have been touchstones of the university’s response. University entities currently advise measures like CUPD screening of work email, installation of security cameras, and increased patrols and police presence.
Increased surveillance and securitisation restrict expression and exacerbate a climate of fear. These must not be the only responses: Such measures can be discriminatory, and not all communities are equally protected by or comfortable with law enforcement. Thus, in addition to public condemnation of all acts of intimidation, harassment, and doxxing, and a public reassurance of our equal rights to free expression, we would like to see the university invest in responses that emphasise community care and a robust defence of open and rigorous analysis. In particular, we urge the university to take measures including, but not limited to:
- Implementing and publicising anti-harassment procedures, such as the resources compiled by library staff
- Funding for anti-doxxing and data privacy staff, consultations, and services such as DeleteMe
- Transparent and ethical data policies: disclosure of CUPD and security infrastructure budget and operations; non-purchase of predictive policing software with history of racial bias or investigative software that sells to ICE, building referendums on security cameras
- Administrative protections (eg, remote teaching provisions)
- A series of educational events on free expression to be organised by the AAUP
We need to see the university fulfil its commitments to freedom of speech, diversity, and inclusion, and to provide substantive expressions and guarantees of support and reassurance to all members of its community, as other university administrations have done. Here are helpful statements from the Administrations at Syracuse, Rutgers, and Columbia, which has also announced an anti-doxxing initiative.
Please reassure us that we are free to express ourselves without fear of retribution from the university so that we can continue researching, teaching, and making community with peace of mind, dignity, and safety.
Please also reassure us that you will ardently work to protect free speech, including critiques of the actions of any state’s human rights violations, and will counter any attempts to conflate critique of the State of Israel with anti-Semitism, just as a critique of any state’s human rights violations cannot be considered a critique of a religious, ethnic, national, or any other identity.
List of signatories:
Adam A Holmes, Alumni
Adam Chandler, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Alaa R. Farghli, Student
Alec McGail, Alumni
Alejandra Quintero, Alumni
Alex Nading, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Alex van Biema, Student
Alexander Hoepker, Alumni
Alexander Wallace, General Public
Alexis Boyce, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Alican Taylan, Student
Alicia Swords, Alumni and Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Alison Bliss, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Allison Weiner Heinemann, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Alyiah Gonzales, Student/Instructor
Amiel Bize, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Andra Sonia Petrutiu, Student
Andre Nascimento, Student
Andrew Moisey, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Andrew Musser, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ani Chen, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Arlan Huang, Artist
Arnav Gupta, Student
Ashwin Kumar, Student
Anton Moore, Student
Ashley Stockstill, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Aslihan Gunhan, Student
Asya Ece Uzmay, Student
Ava White, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Bahar Mirhosseni, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Barbara Regenspan, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Begum Adalet, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ben Wrubel, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Benjamin Barson, Postdoctoral Fellow
Benjamin S. Yost, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Bianca Waked, Student
Brandon Granby, General Public
Brian V Sengdala, Student
Caitlin Blanchfield, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Camille Suarez, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Carole E. Boyce-Davis, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Carrie Chalmers, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Catherine Wilmes, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Cathy Timmermann, Alumni
Cecelia Lawless, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Chiara Formichi, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Chloe Ahmann, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Chloe Wray, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Christine B Balance, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Christine Wen, Alumni
Claire Cororaton, Student
Claudia Verhoeven, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Courtney Ricketts, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Daniel Hirschman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Daniella Pagan, General Public
Daphne Blakey, Student
Darine Yusuf, Student
Darlene Evans, Cornell Faculty/Staff
David Bateman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
David Levitsky, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Denise Green, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Derek Chang, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Derrick R. Spires, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Durba Ghosh, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ecem Saricayir, Student
Edmundo Paz-Soldan, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Edvard Avilés Meza, Student
Edward E. Baptist, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ekin Erar, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Eli Friedman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Elisabeth Rattenborg, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Elise Finielz, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Eliza Bettinger, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Elizabeth H. Sarfaty, General Public
Ella Street, Postdoctoral Fellow
Elizabeth Radman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Emma Campbell, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Emma Park, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Emily Parsons, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Emily Van Dyne, Alumni
Emily Vo, Student
Emmy Lewis, Student
Eng-Beng Lim, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Enzo Traverso, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Eric Cheyfitz, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Eric Tagliacozzo, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Erica Augenstein, Alumni
Ernesto Bassi, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Esra Akcan, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ewa Nizalowska, Student
Wayles Browne, Emeritus faculty
Farah Bakaari, Student
Florian Idenburg, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Fouad Makki, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Gaby Castro, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Georgia Koumantaros, Student
Gina Goico, Student
Gracelynn Osei-Bosompem, Student
Hannah Miller, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Hannah Toombs, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Helena Maria Viramontes, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ian Greer, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Iman Ali, Student
Iftikhar Dadi, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Iliana Burgos, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jaleesa Reed, Cornell Faculty/Staff
James A. Gross, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jamie F Block, Alumni
Jamila Michener, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jamie Johnson, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jane Glaubman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jane-Marie Law, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Jeff Sabol, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Jeffery Hermanson, General Public
Jennifer Colt, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jeremy Braddock, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jim DelRosso, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jodi Dean, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Jolene Rickard, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jonathan B Monroe, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Jorge DeFendini, Alumni
Jose Beduya, Cornell Faculty/Staff
José Luis Cano Jr., Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Joseph Berra, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Juhwan Seo, Student
Judith Byfield, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Judith Tauber, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Julia Chang, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Juliana Garcia, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Juliana Hu Pegues, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Julie McLean, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Juliet Lu, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Julilly Kohler-Hausmann, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Juno Salazar Parreñas, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kaitlin Emmanuel, Student
Kalie Pierce, Student
Karin and Uwe Tauber, General Public
Karina Edouard, Student
Kate McCullough, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Katherine Ally Zaslavsky, Student
Kathryn Russell, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Katie Wang, Student
Katy Rendinaro Kimple, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Ken Roberts, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kerri Sakamoto, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kevin Duong, Alumni
Kieran adams, Student
Kim Haines-Eitzen, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kimberly Knight, Former Faculty at another Institution
Kimiyo Bremer, Student
Kina Viola, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kristin Roebuck, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Kun Huang, Alumni
Kurt Jordan, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Laila Abd Elmagid, Alumni
Lana Aldos, Alumni
Laraib Chaudhry, Student
Laura Caicedo, Student
Laura Schoenle, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Lauren Oertel, Student
lawrence maminta, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Lee Simpfendoerfer, Alumni
Leila Tayeb, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Leon Miller-Out, Alumni
Leslie Alexander, Alumni
Leslie Schultz, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Liliana Colanzi, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Lisa D. Camp, Student
Lisa Quainoo, Student
Lynn Thitchener, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Maboula Soumahoro, General Public
Macarena Tejada López, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Maddie Reynolds, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Madison Albano, Alumni
Majd Aldaye, Student
Maki Inada, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Margaret E Foster, Student
Margaret Washington, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Maria Cristina Garcia, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Maria González Pendas, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Marialuisa Palumbo, Student
Marcos S. Ramos Valdes, Student
Marina Welker, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Marcelo Aguiar, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Mario Hernandez, Alumni
Marty Cain, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Mary Albanese, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Mary Pat Brady, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Matthew Evangelista, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Maureen North, General Public
Mayleen Cortez-Rodriguez, Student
Maz Do, Student
Mee-Ju Ro, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Megan Jeffreys, Student
Meghan McGowan, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Mejdulene Shomali, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Melanie Duru, Student
Meredith A Palmer, Alumni
michael margolin, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Michael Matsuda, Alumni
Michael Moynihan, Student
Michael Pickard, Alumni
Michell Chresfield, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Migdalia Arcila-Valenzuela, Student
Mikayla Gutierrez, Student
Mingwei Huang, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Minh Huynh Vu, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Molinie, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Momodou Taal, Student
Mona Sulzman, General Public
Monica Cornejo, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Montse C. Li, Student
Nancy Gallagher, professor emerita, UCSB
Natalie Kelsey, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Natalie Melas, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Natasha Bishop, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Natasha Raheja, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Nathan Carlos Norris, Student
Nathan Sitaraman, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Naveen Sharma, Student
Nayomi Asghedom, Student
Neil Hertz, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Nic Vigilante, Student
Nick Brattoli, Student
Nicholas Mulder, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Noah Tamarkin, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Noor Jehan Ahmad, Student
NoViolet Buluwayo, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Olivia Ochoa, Student
Olivia Tai, Alumni
Oumar Ba, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Paraska Tolan-Szkilnik, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Parisa Vaziri, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Pascal Schwaighofer, Student
Paul Fleming, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Paul Nadasdy, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Paul Sawyer, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Pearl Ngai, Alumni
Pinar Kemerli, Alumni
Priyamvada Gopal, Alumni
Quinn Stickley, Student
Rachel Vogel, Alumni
Rachel Weil, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Rachel Fomalhaut, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Raymond Craib, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Reanna Esmail, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Richard Franklin Bensel, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Risa Lieberwitz, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Rob Kotaska, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Roberto Ibáñez, Student
Robin Gee, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Robert Travers, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Romy Opperman, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Ruari Paterson-Achenbach, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Ruth Yarrow, Alumni
Ani Mukherji, Alumni
Saida Hodzic, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Samantha Sheppard, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Samia Henni, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sandra Babcock, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sandra E. Greene, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sarah Grunberg, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sarah R Meiners, Student
Satya P Mohanty, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Seema Golestaneh, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Shaila Musharoff, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Shang Yasuda, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Shannon Gleeson, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sharif Ewais-Orozco, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Shio Lim, Student
Simon Gillhooley, Alumni
Sofia Leung, General Public
Sofia Villenas, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Sophia Taborski, Student
Sophie Pinkham, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Suman Seth, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Susette Min, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Suyoung Son, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Tamika Nunley, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Tej Nagaraja, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Thari Zweers, Student
Thomas Hentschel, Alumni
Thomas Dolan, Alumni
Tim Murray, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Tim W. Shenk, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Timo Isreb, Student
TJ Hinrichs, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Todd Ayoung, Cornell Community
Todd Saddler, General Public
Tomie Arai, General Public
Tracy McNulty, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Tristan Ivory, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Vanessa Gubbins, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Verity Platt, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Viranjini Munasinghe, Faculty/Staff at another Institution
Vilma Santiago-Irizarry, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Virginia Doellgast, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Vishal Nyayapathi, Student
Woo Kim, General Public
Yui Sasajima, Student
Ziad Fahmy, Cornell Faculty/Staff
Anonymous, Cornell Faculty/Staff
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