Cornell Faculty Senate's vote to condemn university response to prof booting Jewish student from class fails
The Faculty Senate at Cornell University failed to vote to condemn the university for having disciplined a professor who had asked a Jewish student to leave his course on 'Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance.'
One of the faculty co-sponsors of the resolution stated that 'There was simply no way for us, the resolution’s sponsors, to contest the University’s version of events.'
A recent vote that was proposed in the Cornell Faculty Senate, which aimed to condemn Cornell University for disciplining a professor who had asked a Jewish student to leave his class, has failed.
In 2024, Campus Reform reported that Cornell University would be offering a course on “Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance,” which was taught by professor Eric Cheyfitz.
In the spring of 2025, Cheyfitz had asked a Jewish student to leave the course, which ultimately led to Cheyfitz resigning from position within the university as he was suspended for two semesters for having violated anti-discrimination law, The Cornell Daily Sun reports.
On Oct. 31, the Faculty Senate at Cornell introduced a resolution that claimed that the university had failed to follow procedures with regard to Cheyfitz’s investigation, and attempted to censure Cornell’s central administration.
[RELATED: Cornell president’s criticism of anti-Israel class sparks academic freedom debate]
Two Cornell professors co-sponsored the resolution, and presented it at a Faculty Senate meeting, with one of the professors claiming that the resolution failed to pass through the Faculty Senate because “There was simply no way for us, the resolution’s sponsors, to contest the University’s version of events because we didn’t have access to the same records.”
The second faculty co-sponsor of the resolution stated that despite the vote having failed, “it’s also clear that a significant percentage of the faculty who voted, voted for the resolution,” as reported by The Cornell Daily Sun.
William Jacobson, Cornell law professor and founder of the Equal Protection Project, spoke with Campus Reform about the Faculty Senate vote.
“The faculty senate as a full body had no legitimate role in this matter. This resolution never should have been brought,” Jacobson told Campus Reform. “It has the appearance of retaliation, being drafted and pushed by anti-Israel faculty defending the most notorious ant-Israel professor against a discrimination complaint by an Israeli student.”
Jacobson said he congratulates the silent majority on the faculty senate for rejecting this abuse of process.
“Particularly in this situation where the student already had been doxed, the faculty senate resolution was vindictive. I doubt such a resolution would have been brought if the nationalities and politics had not involved Israel,” Jacobson also told Campus Reform.
The resolution, which had 20 co-sponsors, asked Cornell University to “renew its commitment to protecting academic freedom, even in the face of political pressure.”
Before Cheyfitz’s departure from the university, the Cornell Faculty Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Professional Status of the Faculty had ruled in favor of Professor Cheyfitz, but was overturned by the university’s Office of Civil Rights.
At the Faculty Senate meeting, Provost Kavita Bala clarified that Cheyfitz was accused of breaking university rules on discrimination relating to nationality, and unprofessional conduct based on bias against a student’s presumed view.
Cornell University’s General Counsel, Donica Varner, also attended the meeting, said that “The resolution infers that the AFPSF committee’s conclusions resulted from legally sound practices. They did not.”
Regarding the information disclosed by Bala, Jacobson told Campus Reform, “If the evidence, as disclosed by the Provost, is accurate, then action needed to be taken by the university in order to uphold its civil rights obligations.”
“Unfortunately, the reported settlement imposes no consequences. He gets full salary through the end of the academic year and full retirement benefits. Since he was likely to be retiring soon anyway, he got away with the alleged discrimination without any cost to him,” Jacobson added.
Campus Reform has contacted Cornell University and Professor Eric Cheyfitz for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
