Cornell Professor Russell Rickford is officially on a "leave of absence" after controversy surrounding comments he made at a pro-Palestinian rally.
"Professor Russell Rickford has requested and received approval to take a leave of absence from the university," school officials confirmed to campus newspaper the Cornell Review.
Earlier this month, Rickford spoke at a pro-Palestine rally in downtown Ithaca, New York, where he appeared to celebrate Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel.
"Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence," Rickford said. "[Palestinians] were able to breathe for the first time in years. It was exhilarating. It was energizing. And if they weren't exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated."
Cornell Prof. Russell Rickford Speaks at Pro-Palestine Rally www.youtube.com
As Rickford's comments gained national attention and sparked outcry among students, Cornell administrators publicly reprimanded him for his "reprehensible" comments.
"The university is taking this incident seriously and is currently reviewing it consistent with our procedures," said Cornell University president Martha Pollack and Board of Trustees chairman Kraig Kayser in a statement.
One day after the rebuke, Rickford issued an apology.
"I apologize for the horrible choice of words that I used in a portion of a speech that was intended to stress grassroots African American, Jewish and Palestinian traditions of resistance to oppression," Rickford said. "I am sorry for the pain that my reckless remarks have caused my family, my students, my colleagues and many others in this time of suffering."
Rickford, moreover, claimed "some of the language" he used "was reprehensible" and it "did not reflect my values."
Last week, a prominent Democrat joined Cornell students in demanding Cornell administrators terminate Rickford.
"As a person of authority at an educational institution, to celebrate murder, rape and abducting children and slaughtering children, I think he should be fired," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said. "There's certainly no space for pro-Hamas protestors. That is someone who is supporting death, destruction, rape, murder, and slaughtering of innocent children, and families and seniors and holding hostages, so that cannot be supported."
Cornell officials have not said if Rickford will be terminated.
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Cornell University professor Russell Rickford is apologizing after admitting he was "exhilarated" when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to torture, kidnap, and murder innocent Israelis.
At a pro-Palestine rally in in downtown Ithaca, New York, on Sunday, Rickford appeared to celebrate Hamas' barbaric attack.
"Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence," Rickford said. "[Palestinians] were able to breathe for the first time in years. It was exhilarating. It was energizing. And if they weren't exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated."
Cornell Prof. Russell Rickford Speaks at Pro-Palestine Rally www.youtube.com
The comments immediately generated controversy, and thousands of students demanded Cornell administrators fire Rickford. But he unapologetically doubled down in an interview with Cornell Daily Sun.
Amid increasing pressure on Cornell to act, Rickford issued a statement apologizing for his comments at the rally.
"I apologize for the horrible choice of words that I used in a portion of a speech that was intended to stress grassroots African American, Jewish and Palestinian traditions of resistance to oppression," Rickford said. "I am sorry for the pain that my reckless remarks have caused my family, my students, my colleagues and many others in this time of suffering."
The history professor acknowledged that "some of the language" he used "was reprehensible," and he claimed it "did not reflect my values."
It's not clear, then, why Rickford used such "reprehensible" language if it did not reflect his values. Communication is, after all, a means through which we transmit to others what we think and how we feel.
The apology came one day after Cornell University president Martha Pollack and Board of Trustees chairman Kraig Kayser released a statement addressing Rickford, condemning his comments as "reprehensible."
"The university is taking this incident seriously and is currently reviewing it consistent with our procedures," they said.
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Cornell University professor Russell Rickford is defending himself after admitting he was "exhilarated" when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to torture, rape, and murder more than 1,400 innocent people.
On Sunday, Rickford spoke at a pro-Palestine rally in downtown Ithaca, New York. During his speech, the history professor appeared to celebrate Hamas' terrorism because the attack upset the "balance of power" in the region.
"Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence," Rickford said. "[Palestinians] were able to breathe for the first time in years. It was exhilarating. It was energizing. And if they weren't exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated."
Rickford, meanwhile, also claimed he "abhor[s]" violence and the targeting of civilians.
Cornell Prof. Russell Rickford Speaks at Pro-Palestine Rally www.youtube.com
After the controversial remarks generated attention online, Rickford doubled down and compared Israel's leaders to Hamas.
According to Rickford, his jubilation at Hamas' invasion was a reference to the terrorists' ability to break "through the apartheid wall," which he said ushered in a "a new phase of resistance in the Palestinian struggle."
"It really signaled that the Palestinian will to resist had not been broken," Rickford told the Cornell Daily Sun. "In subsequent days, we learned of some of the horrifying realities. I want to make it clear that Hamas is a fundamentalist organization. It's important to note that in some ways, the fundamentalism of Hamas mirrors that of Israeli leadership."
Finally, Rickford without evidence accused Israel of "war crimes" and denounced "the equation of any form of Palestinian resistance with terrorism."
On Monday afternoon, Cornell University President Martha Pollack condemned Cornell faculty and students who have spoken positively about Hamas, though she did not name anyone specifically.
"I am sickened by statements glorifying the evilness of Hamas terrorism. Any members of our community who have made such statements do not speak for Cornell; in fact, they speak in direct opposition to all we stand for at Cornell. There is no justification for or moral equivalent to these violent and abhorrent acts," Pollack said.
"I am outraged by them and, along with senior leadership of the Cornell Board of Trustees, I again condemn them in the strongest possible terms," the statement added.
Still, Cornell students want Rickford fired over what they believe was an "abhorrent" and "offensive" speech that was "against the principles of humanity."
Two separate petitions demanding that the university terminate Rickford have each received more than 2,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.
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A bust of Abraham Lincoln and a bronze plaque of his Gettysburg Address were removed recently from Cornell University's library after "someone complained," a professor at the Ivy League school told the College Fix.
Biology professor Randy Wayne noted to the outlet that several weeks ago he stopped by Kroch Library — which contains Cornell’s rare and manuscript collections — and noticed the bust and plaque were gone.
Wayne added to the College Fix that he asked librarians about the disappearance, and all they could say was that the bust and plaque were removed after a stink was raised about them.
"Someone complained, and [they were] gone," he told the outlet.
Wayne added to the College Fix that the objects were replaced with “well, nothing," leaving a bare white wall.
\u201cCornell library removes Gettysburg Address, Lincoln bust https://t.co/oDfrHdWPol via @collegefix\u201d— The College Fix (@The College Fix) 1656389386
The bust and plaque have "been there since I can remember,” Wayne noted to the outlet.
According to a Facebook photo, the bust and plaque have been on display in the library since at least 2013, the College Fix said.
Wayne on Thursday emailed Cornell University President Martha Pollack and asked about the missing objects, the outlet said. Wayne told the College Fix that Pollack had not responded to his inquiry.
The outlet said the president’s office and Cornell media affairs haven't responded to its email over the last week, nor to a phone call Monday, asking about what happened to the Gettysburg Address plaque and Lincoln bust and why they were removed.
“The Gettysburg Address is an incredible speech,” Wayne told the outlet. “We have a handwritten copy in Lincoln’s hand. It is known as the Bancroft Copy. It comes with an envelope signed by Lincoln (using his franking privilege), and a letter to [historian George] Bancroft, thanking him for requesting a copy of the address to put in a book to be sold for charity.”
Wayne added, “I show these documents to my class, as well as the heavy iron manacles worn by slaves. Yes, we have a Lincoln legacy that has been inspirational to me and my students. To take his words [and bust] out of the hallway says something about our love of liberty," the College Fix said.
While the details of the reported complaint about the Lincoln bust and Gettysburg Address plaque aren't known, plenty of historical objects were toppled, removed, and vandalized during the riotous summer of 2020 due to their connections to slavery. Statues of Lincoln and another former president, Theodore Roosevelt, were torn down in Portland in the fall of 2020 after a "day of rage."
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