Cornell University professor Russell Rickford, who praised the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the killing of five Israeli civilians by calling it “exhilarating” and “energizing,” has returned to campus and will be teaching again. Rickford had been on voluntary leave following widespread backlash after his comments were recorded at an anti-Israel rally off-campus.
At the rally, Rickford said, “It was exhilarating, it was energizing…I was exhilarated,” in reference to the Hamas attack. He later apologized for his remarks. Despite the controversy, according to the New York Post, Rickford is scheduled to teach at least two courses this semester, including “African Americans’ Vision of America” and “Socialism in America,” as well as a seminar.
In a statement to the Post, Cornell University confirmed that Rickford was not disciplined for his previous comments. While the university’s administration condemned his remarks as “reprehensible” and displaying a “complete disregard for humanity,” they noted that his speech was protected under the First Amendment.
Joel Malina, Cornell’s Vice President of University Relations, stated in an email, “Given that Professor Rickford’s comments were made as a private citizen in his free time, the university’s academic leadership has concluded that Professor Rickford’s conduct in relation to this incident did not meet that high bar.”
Rickford’s return has sparked outrage among students and faculty. Amanda Silberstein, a junior and vice president of Chabad and Cornellians for Israel, criticized the decision as “ridiculous,” stating that allowing Rickford to go unpunished sets a dangerous precedent for other professors.
“It allows [Rickford] and other professors to indoctrinate students in the classroom,” she said, per the New York Post.
Additionally, US Representative Claudia Tenney has publicly condemned Cornell’s decision. In a letter to Cornell’s interim president Michael Kotlikoff, Tenney expressed her disgust, writing, “I am deeply disgusted by Cornell’s decision to continue employing Mr. Rickford after his horrific statements that celebrated the murder of innocent people and incited violence.”
“Professor Rickford holds a position within the university that allows him to mold and influence young minds. This position demands a higher standard of behavior, one that is free from anti-Semitic rhetoric and vocal support of terrorism,” Tenney added. “By perpetuating these abhorrent views, Professor Rickford has not only violated his ethical responsibility as an educator but has also jeopardized the safety of the Jewish community and tarnished Cornell.”
