All classrooms were closed on the 3rd… due to the worsening atmosphere of intimidation for several weeks.
Cornell University President: “We cannot tolerate any form of intimidation or hate crimes.”
Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League university in New York, USA, announced on the 2nd (local time) that it had suspended all lectures and classes after a student posted an online threat targeting Jewish students at the university.
According to the Associated Press and Xinhua News Agency, Cornell University announced on the 3rd that it had closed all classes, saying in a statement, “This is because we recognize the extraordinary pressure and stress of the past few weeks.”
School authorities and non-essential staff also decided to suspend all work.
Patrick Dye, 21, a third-year student at Cornell University, was arrested on October 31 on charges of “posting threats online to kill or injure others in an out-of-state relationship,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York said.
Prosecutors arrested Dye on the grounds that he had threatened in an online discussion group that he would kill or harm Jewish students at Cornell University and fire bullets at the university’s Jewish restaurant.
“Cornell University will not tolerate anti-Semitism, nor will we tolerate any form of hate crimes, racism or Islamophobia,” Cornell University President Martha Pollack said in a statement on the 2nd.
Earlier this week, President Biden also expressed caution by declaring special measures against dangerous anti-Semitic incitement and violence occurring on college campuses across the country following the Israel-Hamas war.
“We are closely monitoring anti-Semitism and other forms of racism and intimidation, not only among Cornell students, but on all college campuses across the country,” White House press secretary Karin Janpier said at a press briefing.
Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), also reported at a congressional hearing on the 2nd that threats against Jewish residents and regions across the United States are occurring at an all-time high, exceeding the normal level.
A senior White House official said the Justice Department would provide active support for Jews, Muslims, Arabs and other peoples affected by the war.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.