Cornell President Cleared for Slowly Backing Car Into Activists: ‘No Criminal Charges Warranted’

In this The College Fix article, Jennifer Kabbany reports that Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing after his car slowly backed into activists who had surrounded and blocked his vehicle.

• The incident occurred April 30 after activists followed Kotlikoff from an Israel-Palestinian debate to a parking lot and questioned him about past pro-Palestinian student suspensions.
• According to Cornell’s Ad Hoc Special Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Tompkins County District Attorney’s office determined that “no criminal charges were warranted” against anyone involved.
• The committee said the activists’ behavior — following Kotlikoff, impeding his exit, and surrounding his car — violated university standards for expressive activity, safety, respectful conduct, and intimidation.
• The vehicle reportedly made contact with two students, including one who claimed his toes were run over, but there were no reported injuries.
• The committee said those who reported contact with the vehicle refused medical treatment and declined to provide sworn statements.
• Students for a Democratic Cornell rejected the committee’s conclusions and accused university leadership of misrepresenting the incident.
• The activist group claimed one student was evaluated by Cornell EMS and did not require further treatment, disputing the characterization that he “refused medical treatment.”
• Kotlikoff later said he initially did not believe his vehicle had touched anyone and only realized what happened after seeing videos circulating online.
• In hindsight, Kotlikoff said he should have stayed in the locked car and called police rather than attempting to leave.

Read the full story: https://www.thecollegefix.com/cornell-president-cleared-for-slowly-backing-car-into-activists-no-criminal-charges-warranted/