Cornell law professor preps civil rights complaint after Israeli student whistleblower outed

A well-known Cornell University law professor is set to file a federal civil rights complaint against the prestigious institution following the exposure of an Israeli student whistleblower who alleged exclusion from a contentious course regarding the Gaza Strip, attributed to his nationality.

Following Oren Renard’s initial complaint, his full identity and affiliation as a former operative in an elite military surveillance unit of the Israel Defense Forces were leaked to the media, being reported by various outlets including the left-leaning publication, the Nation.

“There has been a targeted effort to dox the student, revealing his identity despite his concerns for personal safety,” William Jacobson stated to The Post.

“These attacks are aimed at discouraging other students from speaking out, especially Israeli or Jewish individuals who might fear public exposure and subsequent threats if they report any discrimination,” Jacobson, who leads the Equal Protection Project, a legal group focusing on discrimination in educational institutions, added.

After Renard’s allegations surfaced, Cornell’s Office of Civil Rights concluded there was a “finding of discrimination” in the matter, prompting the professor overseeing the course to retire, as stated by a university spokesperson.

Jacobson suspects that leaking Renard’s identity could breach federal civil rights regulations or potentially violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

“Our intention, through the Equal Protection Project, is to lodge a civil rights complaint with both the Departments of Justice and Education, seeking an investigation into the harassment, intimidation, and doxing of a student complainant in a disciplinary case at Cornell University,” he indicated.

Jacobson previously requested a civil rights inquiry into Renard’s claims that he was ousted from the “Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance” course due to his Israeli background, describing the university’s investigation as “thorough.”

Renard’s allegations targeted Eric Cheyfitz, a former professor specializing in American studies and humane letters, who is recognized as a vocal anti-Israel advocate on the campus.

Cornell disclosed last month that Cheyfitz had been suspended, indicating that he “acknowledged actions that violated federal civil rights laws and did not meet the university’s standards for student interactions.”

“Professor Cheyfitz has opted to retire, concluding Cornell’s disciplinary process. The determination that he violated university policy and federal legislation remains intact,” a spokesperson for Cornell conveyed to The Post on Monday.

Cheyfitz conveyed to the Cornell Daily Sun student publication that while he initially welcomed Renard, it has become his belief that the Israeli student was monitoring and recording his peers in breach of the university’s code of conduct.

“The university’s investigation corroborated that the request for the student to exit the class constituted a civil rights infraction,” Jacobson countered. “If a professor believes a student is improperly recording a session, there are established procedures for addressing this with university administrators.

“What a professor is not permitted to do is expel a student based on their nationality or perspective, which is what the university concluded occurred in this instance.”

Cheyfitz also asserted to the Daily Sun that he requested Renard to depart the course as he was “disturbing my students, seemed to be neglecting the readings,” making “contradictory statements,” and “was not engaging in the discussions.”

An attorney representing Cheyfitz has yet to respond to a request for comments.

After Cornell’s Office of Civil Rights determined that Cheyfitz discriminated against Renard, a Faculty Senate committee dismissed the finding.

The university’s provost later clarified that the civil rights panel applied the “preponderance of evidence standard” to arrive at its verdict, as mandated by federal law, while the Faculty Senate used a higher “clear and convincing” standard.

The provost reopened the investigation, which had been stagnant until Cheyfitz’s retirement. Since then, several of Cheyfitz’s colleagues have circulated a resolution to denounce Cornell’s handling of the situation.

“Any subsequent actions taken by a different committee cannot alter the determination of discrimination reached by Cornell’s civil rights panel,” Jacobson asserted.

“They were unequivocally firm and explicit about the events that transpired here,” he added. “Thus, the university seems to have fulfilled its responsibilities, but it falls short” by permitting Cheyfitz to retire.