The video embedded in this article contain strong language.
Videos obtained by WSKG and the Cornell Daily Sun show Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff backing into a student with his car.
The incident took place following an Israel-Palestine debate series event featuring political scientist and activist Norman Finkelstein. Kotlikoff introduced the event. Afterward, a small group of people followed Kotlikoff to his car while asking questions about university policies, including student discipline.
A clip shared with WSKG by Students for a Democratic Cornell shows Kotlikoff’s vehicle backing into a student, identified by the group as Hudson Athas.
Additional video published by the Cornell Daily Sun shows Kotlikoff’s vehicle reversing into Athas as he stands behind the car, pushing him backwards a few steps. After the car stops, Athas asks, “You’re running a student over?”
Athas then looks around the car.
“Am I allowed to stand here?” He asks.
Then the car reverses into Athas again, hitting him. Cornell student Aiden Vallecillo is heard shouting “He just ran over my f*cking foot.”
Kotlikoff described the incident in a statement published by the university during the day on Friday titled, “Harassment and intimidation incident at Day Hall.” He does not mention his car making contact with a person in the statement.
“I waited until I saw space behind the car and then, using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, was able to slowly maneuver my car from the parking space and exit the parking lot,” he wrote.
Later that night, after some news outlets had published videos taken by the group, Cornell released security footage of the incident.
That video also shows Kotlikoff backing into Athas, who is standing behind his SUV. The period between when Kotlikoff begins reversing to when he exits the parking lot takes roughly a minute.
After the car makes contact with Athas a second time, the vehicle starts moving forward. Athas remains standing. He appears to follow the car as it moves forward slightly.
The car stops and reverses again and someone else runs to the car’s back bumper and appears to touch the vehicle.
Another person steps in front of the car as it moves forward, taking steps backwards as the car approaches. The person then steps aside and Kotlikoff drives out of the parking lot.
Emergency Medical Services and the Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) responded to the incident.
WSKG reached out to Cornell University and asked whether a student was hit by a car during the incident, prior to the release of Cornell’s security footage. A university representative did not answer WSKG’s questions, instead redirecting to Kotlikoff’s statement.
The statement describes Kotlikoff’s interaction with a group of “students and non-students.”
“These individuals followed me from the event space and across campus, while loudly shouting questions and recording on their phones. After answering a few questions, I let them know that I was not planning to engage further, and asked them to stop recording,” the statement reads.
Video from student organizers shared with WSKG shows them walking next to the university president on the way to his car while asking questions about Cornell’s disciplinary policies.
Some students have criticized the university’s suspension processes in recent years. They say the university is infringing on their free speech and due process rights, including by suspending and arresting pro-Palestinian protesters.
Kotlikoff’s statement says that the group “continued to follow me to my car and then surrounded the car, banging on the windows, blocking the car, and shouting.”
Kotlikoff’s statement does not indicate any disciplinary action by the university against students involved.
The students sent their own statement to WSKG.
“We vehemently deny that anyone banged on his car windows as described in the statement. There was no attempt to intimidate Kotlikoff physically or verbally and students consistently remained a safe distance away from him,” the statement read.
Vallecillo said the group called campus police after Kotlikoff left the scene. He told WSKG that EMS evaluated his injury and that his right foot is sore and painful to walk on. Vallecillo said “as far as we can tell, we only think it's like a hairline fracture, something smaller. Nothing too serious, thankfully.”
Vallecillo described the incident as “shameful.” He said he is unsure what his next steps are regarding the incident.
“Kotlikoff is essentially the boss of CUPD, and he has already released a statement, kind of saying, ‘These are the facts,’ without any factchecking, and this is the university's stance on the position. So I am admittedly a little bit fearful to go to the police, considering their boss has already made his position clear.”
Kotlikoff condemned the group in his statement.
“The behavior I experienced last night is not protest. It is harassment and intimidation, with the direct motive of silencing speech. It has no place in an academic community, no place in a democracy, and can have no place at Cornell.”