Cornell Students and Student Group Face Possible Suspension for Disrupting Event

[UPDATE 3/14/2025, 7:25 pm: My headline originally erroneously said "Suspended," but the students and the group at this point have been referred for possible disciplinary measures, and face the possibility of suspension; they haven't actually been suspended. My apologies for the error, and thanks to reader Jordan Brown for the correction.]

From a statement released Tuesday by the Cornell Interim President:

The Pathways to Peace event Monday night provided an educational discussion on the complex history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and negotiations. Cornell successfully hosted a panel of esteemed former Middle East leaders and U.S. ambassadors who shared historical perspectives and unique insight for achieving a peaceful future. The hundreds of members of the Cornell community who came to Bailey Hall to listen, learn, and respectfully debate experienced an evening of information, introspection, and critical self-examination.

Unfortunately, the event was marred by disappointing disruptions. The ability of speakers to present opinions and ideas, and to engage in thoughtful dialogue with the university community, is critical to the educational process and fundamental to university life. Individuals attempting to shout down speakers and disrupt dialogue seriously compromise our values. Those who disrupted the Pathways to Peace event were swiftly removed.

Cornell University Police identified 17 people responsible for this unacceptable disruption. Nine students will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for appropriate action, including the imposition of interim measures up to and including suspension. Staff members involved in the disruption will be referred for disciplinary actions through Human Resources. Outside disrupters will be issued persona non grata status, barring them from Cornell's campus.

Additionally, for advertising and organizing this disruption, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student-run organization, faces suspension as a registered campus organization.

Events like Pathways to Peace represent our ambition to embrace diverse viewpoints and engage in difficult conversations. Cornell must be a place where all voices can be heard and none are silenced.

For more, see the Ithaca Voice (Judy Lucas):

Protestors criticized the university for inviting former Israeli Foreign Minister Tziporah Livni to participate in the panel, calling Livni a war criminal. Livni, a former center-left Israeli leader, was previously accused of war crimes in a suit filed by a UK pro-Palestinian group for her role in a major military offensive in Gaza in 2008….

The event featured Livni, former Palestinian Authority leader and prime minister Salam Fayyad and former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro. The panel was moderated by retired diplomat Ryan Crocker, who served as U.S. ambassador to a host of Arab nations.

Comments

[Moderation4ever]

People that shout and attempt to stop speakers generally don't have the ability to speak in a coherent manner and make their case. They generally focus on stopping the opponents from make a case.

[Currentsitguy]

I generally believe if your only efforts are devoted to silencing others, rather than contributing yourself, you probably don't have anything of value to say.

[CindyF]

Communication skills are so lacking in progressive college students that they have no idea how to debate or participate in a reasonable discussion to support their point of view. Therefore, they shut down other speakers or resort to violence. That's also why they can only repeat slogans taught to them by others even though they often have no understanding of the words they are chanting.

They insist it is free speech and they are protected by the First Amendment. But the First Amendment does not give them the right to shut down the speech of others or occupy/private private spaces. For instance, just because they disagree with my point of view does not give them the right to enter my home to tell me so.

[y81]

Communication skills are so lacking in progressive members of the current generation of faculty that they have no idea of how to debate or participate in a reasonable discussion . . . .
FTFY

[Commenter_XY]

Could be both = progressive students and progressive faculty unable to debate or participate in reasonable discussion

[JonFrum]

It's that simple. It was always that simple. But the post-Vietnam War zeitgeist on American campuses has been pro-protest to the point that no protest could be denied, no matter how disruptive to the work of education it became. And by protest, of course I mean Leftist protest. Protesting against abortion or affirmative action would get you run out on a rail with a suit of tar and feathers.

[Longtobefree]

Well, not so sure about the tar and feathers any more.
It takes fossil fuel to heat the tar, and those damn free range chickens are too hard to catch.

[Dr. Ed 2]

LTBF -- they used Pine Tar -- made from roots and stumps of pine trees, it was used as a preservative for both wood and rope back then. It was a major export of North Carolina back in Colonial days.

It sometimes was heated for "tar and feathering" but didn't have to be -- it could be painted onto the victim.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually no, Operation Rescue was very effectively stomped on.

40 years ago, in the early 90s, Abortion Clinics were being protested by sit-in blockades and thugs screaming abuse at the women entering and exiting the clinics, which then were in storefront offices.

Their explicit goal was to "rescue" the unborn by preventing their mothers having access to the abortion clinics and they were zealots.

Clinton's Access to Clinics Act had a year in prison for the first offense, three years for the second, and enabled civil suits as well.
Some states went further, Massachusetts had a law to make it a crime to be on the public sidewalk within 25 feet of an abortion clinic unless one was a patient or employee --- SCOTUS struck that one down.

The law *worked* and no one under the age of 50 has ever even heard of "Operation Rescue."

Abortion was the one thing impermissible to protest.

[damikesc]

I have little doubt that conservative protests would be shut down VERY quickly.

[Dr. Ed 2]

I have NO doubt....

[Frank Drackman]

Knew a Major Cornell in the Marine Corpse, what a prick! Everyone called him “Major Corn-hole”

[Brett Bellmore]

I'll tell you, as a native Michiganian, every time somebody invites me to play "corn hole" down here in the South I have to remind myself that the term has a VERY different meaning here from what it had up in Michigan.

[SykesFive]

I went to law school in Alabama. I got invited to some "meet potential employers" event at a bar. Some of them started talking about playing cornhole. I was so confused and unsure how to react.

[KenveeB]

Good for them! If your opponents are that bad, surely you can convince other people of that. Just trying to stop them from speaking communicates that you don't have any actual counter to what they're saying.

[Scooter]

Good to see the adults stepping up. One's "First Amendment Rights" do not include the "Heckler's Veto" of shouting down invited speakers to sanctioned events.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Amazing what just threatening to shut off the Federal largess can accomplish....

[TZM]

Fayyad had no issue being on a panel with Livni, seems like the SJP people just don’t give a damn about those on the ground in Palestine.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Does ny criminal law regard the disruption of speeches and seminars as disturbing the peace? Have the university authorities taken that up with the real-world police?

[zztop8970]

what does it matter? They are not being subjected to a criminal investigation, but to discipline for violation of the school's code of conduct.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Uh, yeah, that's what prompted my comment.

[Dr. Ed 2]

The State of New York has all kinds of laws to that effect:
https://ypdcrime.com/penal.law/article240.php

The issue with Cornell is the same as the issue with MIT -- it is a private Land Grant College and the question I ask is if public money is used to found a private college, is the college technically public as to its obligations to the state?

For example, both Cornell and MIT have ROTC, I argue that as Land Grant Colleges, they are *required to* have ROTC.

[tylertusta]

I'm conflicted about this.

On one hand, I don't like the obvious and ham-fisted pressure that the administration is putting on higher education because the same may be used on other industries.

On the other hand, if there was ever an industry that needs to get slapped around for turning a blind eye to civil rights violations, it's Ivy League schools.

[Currentsitguy]

Outrageous behaviors sometimes requires outrageous solutions.

[Krayt]

Eh, the reason we're in this situation is Congressional threats of pulling money for this or that reason.

As with any tyrant, it all seems good and noble, as long as you are in control. Once the other side is...!

I recommend pulling back the process itself, so it cannot be abused.

[Dr. Ed 2]

The problem Krayt is that the other side has been in control, and this is the case of the hazard you speak of.
This is the NEW tyrant dealing with the old one.

[neurodoc]

You think it would be wrong for Cornell to discipline, even suspend or expel those who undertook to disrupt and perhaps block altogether the scheduled program? Why? I think it would be wrong not to impose meaningful (the kind that hurts) discipline under the circumstances.

[Malika the Maiz]

That’s a good motto for fascism.

[damikesc]

But "You're not allowed to say that because I disagree with it" is not?

[Brett Bellmore]

When they're not turning a blind eye to the violations, it's because they're committing them themselves.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Damn right, and that's why I am not worried about the fascist overtones of this.

I don't care if it is outright fascist.

We've given the jack-booted fascists a half century to get established and to take over our educational system and it is necessary to use their tactics to exterminate them.

As Justice Scala said, it is wrong to permit "one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow Marquis of Queensberry rules."

[David Nieporent]

On one hand, I don't like the obvious and ham-fisted pressure that the administration is putting on higher education because the same may be used on other industries.

I guess that's almost principled. (Better if you opposed it because it was inherently wrong than because it might be used against people you like — but at least you're on the right side.) In that vein, did you see the insane list of demands that the Department of Education sent to Columbia?

https://bsky.app/profile/ansleyerickson.bsky.social/post/3lkcextgcdc2d

(The image of the two-page letter appears in the tweet.)

The Dept does not even pretend to tether its lists of demands to federal law; it goes far beyond "ham-fisted" to "FYTW."

[damikesc]

There is, literally, nothing wrong with any of the "demands" listed.

[neurodoc]

You "literally" (as opposed to "figuratively"?) see "nothing wrong with any of the 'demands' listed," including the one requiring "comprehensive" admissions reform? Well, I believe EV, along with every even minimally sane poster to this thread, will call that particular demand, along with a host of other ones, flat out batsh*t crazy and wildly illegal. Just saying.

[Stephen Lathrop]

Holy crap. As far as I know, the 60s never produced anything quite like that. How can an attorney sign that and get away with it?

[Dr. Ed 2]

You clearly are not familiar with ED/OCR -- they have been making demands similar to this for some time.

Remember the demand to adopt the preponderance standard?

The only reason this particular letter is so explicit is because this time it is being written to administrators who will attempt to obfuscate.

[neurodoc]

"How can an attorney sign that and get away with it?"

Were you unaware that 54 days ago (just one day less than the number Hitler to required take over) Donald John Trump was elected 47th President of the United States, and this time by the required number of electoral; and now questions like yours no longer have any meaning. Capiche? (If you don't, it will be made clear to you, and you will respond in the prescribed fashion.)

[TwelveInchPianist]

No "Dear Colleague" heading?

[y81]

Gee, I'm pretty sure David Bernstein would be on board with all of this, and Prof. Volokh is on board with David Bernstein.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

That certainly is heavy-handed.

And this sort of heavy-handedness is unprecedented. /sarc

Seriously, the feds have used the threat of funds cutoffs to reorganize academic programs in the name of desegregating university systems which, while previously segregated, had shifted to admitting people of all races to all campuses. That wasn't enough - "duplicative" programs on some campuses had to be shut down, and the like.

I also seem to recall commands that universities throughout the country revise their internal disciplinary procedures to be harsher on certain defendants - making conviction easier.

These precedents seem to indicate that the feds can use their aid as a cudgel to do a *lot* in the name of civil rights.

Or we could pretend history started yesterday.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Don't forget what the feds did at the University of Mississippi....

[Stephen Lathrop]

How much distance do you think there is between, "seem to recall," and, "pretend history started yesterday." I'm big on history. Try me. If you invoke history, supply at least a taste to illustrate.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

I did.

[Commenter_XY]

Columbia is on the clock. They need to have certain things done by March 20th, 4 days from now.

They are going to lose more grant money.

[Brett Bellmore]

Sounds perfectly reasonable, and it actually does tether the demands to federal law. Anyway, Titles VI and VII of the 1964 Civil rights act was federal law the last time I looked; Has that changed?

[Flight-ER-Doc]

Suspended? They disrupted the education of hundreds, thousands of other students. They should be expelled.

[Old Smokin' Egg]

Per the Cornell statement, "[F]or advertising and organizing this disruption, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student-run organization, faces suspension as a registered campus organization."

I would not be at all surprised if this was exactly the case: that SJP recruited protesters, and arranged a scheme whereby individuals would sequentially disterrupt the proceedings (so that there'd be a whole string of interruptions, rather than a single large one after which the event could progress as planned).

But what's the evidence for this? If we only knew that SJP had advertised that the event was going to take place, and that people should protest it peacefully, could we legitimately tie them to the scheme of disruption?

[Dr. Ed 2]

For starters, my guess is that SJP isn't denying it.

My guess -- just a guess -- is that those organizing this used SJP space and resources to do so, and that the campus community believes they did it.

No, this isn't good enough for a criminal conviction, but Kampus Kangaroo Korts use the preponderance standard.

[Sarcastr0]

The balance between free speech, protest, when to punish civil disobedience and when to let it ride was a nuanced issue different schools handled differently. Some screwed up regularly, some did not.

The federal government top-down mandating all schools do it the same, maximally harsh way, does not seem an improvement in freedom to me.

[Dr. Ed 2]

When a building is on fire, you break windows and cut holes in the roof.

[GKHoff]

Why?

[Dr. Ed 2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTQWNCeCBvQ
(The three blasts on the horn means "everyone out of the building, NOW!)

I assume this is a serious question and I will give a serious answer.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is not only flammable but explosive if it is heated above a certain temperature in the presence of Oxygen -- it wants to become CO2 and releases energy (heat) when it does. CO is what manufactured gas was and hence how it was possible to commit suicide by putting your head in an unlit oven (e.g. Sylvia Plath) before utilities switched to Natural Gas (Methane).

This is true of other products of incomplete combustion but Carbon Monoxide is a big one and the simplest to explain: 2 CO + 02 = 2 CO2 + heat.

Notice the small amount of smoke coming out of the round window and such. What often happens in a fire is a restriction on air which does two things -- reduces the Oxygen when it is used up and contains the superheated air which can be well over 1000 degrees.

IF there is Oxygen present, Carbon Monoxide will explode once it is above 600 degrees or so -- it is, but there isn't enough oxygen for that to happen. So the fire smoulders, and remember that for fresh air to come in, the existing (Oxygen-free) air has to leave. That's what you see happening here.

Note the ladder on the right -- fortunately no one was on it...

Now picture a fireplace -- it works by sending hot air (and smoke) up the chimney, which then sucks cold air in below to replace it, this is called the chimney effect.

The purpose of cutting the hole in the roof and then breaking the windows is to use the chimney effect to vent this superheated smoke so that you (a) don't have an explosion and (b) can get the temperature down below the ignition temperature of the CO and other stuff in the smoke. Yes, you are helping the fire burn better, but this allows you to fight the fire without creating a backdraft.

You then put in water which (a) lowers the temperature below combustion temperatures and (b) forms steam which displaces air.

I'm thinking -- just a guess -- that someone noticed the smoke coming out the window and eves which is why they decided not to go up and cut a hole in the roof. It's also why you break windows rather than open them -- fire can explode out the window.

The point I was trying to make is that higher ed is such a mess that drastic solutions are necessary to save it.

[TwelveInchPianist]

Did the federal government mandate that these students be suspended?

[Sarcastr0]

Yes; that was the intent behind the Columbia funding pull.

[TwelveInchPianist]

The intent behind the Columbia funding pull was to get Cornell to suspend students who disrupted class?

I thought it was to get Columbia to stop creating a hostile environment for Jewish students.

And you've said in the past that you are opposed to Universities having the freedom to create a hostile environment for some categories of students, although you haven't mentioned Jewish students.

[Sarcastr0]

Yeah pretend you don't know what a chilling effect is.

You do love to play the fool!

[damikesc]

So, a chilling effect on Jewish students is OK? Got it. Thanks.

[TwelveInchPianist]

I know what a chilling effect on freedom of expression is.

Yes, the point of denying funding to schools who allow mobs to prevent Jewish students from going to class is to have a chilling effect on schools who allow mobs to prevent Jewish students from going to class. If you don't like that, you can write your congressman and ask him to repeal the Civil Rights Act.

[Stephen Lathrop]

TwelveInch — It is explicit in the demand letter linked by Nieporent above.

[TwelveInchPianist]

That letter wasn’t addressed to Cornell

[Stephen Lathrop]

So you figure the letter is okay, and probably would not be applied to Cornell anyway?

[TextFirst]

There is no top down mandate. There is, at most, access to federal funds at stake. If you want to undo the concept of federal money including federal strings, then we have to rollback at least all the way to South Dakota v. Dole.

[Sarcastr0]

There is, at most, access to federal funds at stake.
Yeah, that's the mandate.

I'm not arguing legality, I'm arguing freedom.

[TwelveInchPianist]

The freedom to get federal money?

I'd imagine many of those grants have strings that require the universities to do certain types of research. Can you imagine!

[Sarcastr0]

No, not that.

Back to mute with you, sealion.

[TwelveInchPianist]

Govies really value the freedom to get federal money with no strings, I guess.

[Stephen Lathrop]

Strings on the money may be fine. Depends on the strings. Strings on unrelated stuff to get the money? That's big government trying tyrannize civil society.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Gsslighto, the decision that those who violate the Civil Rights Act can't receive Federal funds was made 60 years ago. It may have been a mistake but it's the law.

Ron Paul was right, the entire Civil Rights Act was unConstitutional. It might have been justified under the fifth section of the 14th Amendment, but there is no way that this relates to commerce.

So go tell your Congresscritters that you want the Civil Rights Act repealed....

[y81]

Whoa, an end to federal mandates in higher education? If only you had suggested this during a Democratic administration, so that your sincerity would be apparent to all.

[CindyF]

"Dancing transgender hecklers shut down parents' event at blue state's capitol: 'Sad and unfortunate'"

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dancing-transgender-hecklers-shut-down-parents-event-blue-states-capitol-sad-unfortunate

[TwelveInchPianist]

And people wonder why Trump is president.

[Commenter_XY]

I know, that is the funniest part. They are blind to what is in plain sight.

[Gasman]

The Onion has thoughtfully explained why such displays always work to cement public opinion in the exact opposite manner intended by the 'protesters'.
https://theonion.com/gay-pride-parade-sets-mainstream-acceptance-of-gays-bac-1819566014/

[Brett Bellmore]

Classic Onion when the Onion was funny.

[Real American]

These people support kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of innocent men, women and children. Disturbing the peace doesn't mean anything to them. These crybullies need to be arrested, convicted, and expelled, and sent a bill for the damages.

[Dr. Ed 2]

No, they support beheading babies and raping hippies.

There was a time when one falsely accused the enemy of doing this -- but these schmucks actually DID IT...

[DaveM]

The University of Florida has the right idea on how to deal with these kinds of disruptive people:

“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences. For many days, we have patiently told protesters — many of whom are outside agitators — that they were able to exercise their right to free speech and free assembly. And we also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university. For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.”

[Sarcastr0]

Compare this to Cornell's timeline and punishment.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Apparently, as far as the students and SJP are concerned, the university has merely filed charges in their own tribunals. How will we know the outcomes of these cases - won't they claim that confidentiality must prevail? And if the public is permitted a peek at these proceedings, how do we know it won't end up with double-secret probation, not suspension?

Seriously, is this behavior criminal under NY law? If so, where are the real-world police?

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually no -- there are several exceptions to FERPA confidentiality, one of which is that the alleged victim of a crime of violence may be told the final results of a disciplinary proceeding.

My understanding is that "crime of violence" is defined by state law, and NY law appears to define some of the things these little darlings have done as "crimes of violence" and hence the alleged victims (Jewish students) can be told -- and they can then tell anyone they damn well please.

My understanding is that this is independent of any criminal prosecution, although CLEARY may apply here.

[edbeau99]

The Trump Effect. Prior to January 20th, these agitators would have been able to shut down the event and not even be detained. It is still unlikely they will be punished by Cornell, but at least the arrest will have some deterrent effect.