Exclusive | Cornell law professor demands civil rights probe after Israeli student allegedly excluded from course on Gaza

A well-known law professor at Cornell University is calling for a civil rights investigation following allegations that a colleague attempted to exclude an Israeli student from his course focusing on the Gaza conflict.

Recently, Cornell University confirmed the suspension of Eric Cheyfitz, an American studies and humane letters professor, stating that he acknowledged actions that infringed on federal civil rights laws and failed to meet the university’s standards for student engagement, according to a spokesperson from the prestigious institution.

In particular, Cheyfitz, who identifies as Jewish and is known for his anti-Israel stance, allegedly told an Israeli student that they were unwelcome in his Gaza course, leading to a filed complaint, as reported by Jewish Insider.

“If it’s confirmed he removed a student from his class based on their Israeli nationality, that represents a significant violation of civil rights,” William Jacobson, a law professor and head of the Equal Protection Project—a legal advocacy group addressing discrimination in higher education—told The Post.

“No faculty member has the authority to negatively impact a student’s experience based on national origin. This is a very clear and widely understood principle,” he emphasized. “If he indeed did this, it’s an extremely serious matter.”

Currently, Jacobson is withholding any further action regarding a formal complaint until more details become available. His group has previously targeted over 120 educational institutions for issues related to national origin discrimination.

Following a complaint against Cheyfitz—who serves as a faculty adviser to the Cornell chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace—the university initiated an investigation into the allegations.

“Cornell University is dedicated to safeguarding its members against discrimination,” a spokesperson for the university stated to The Post.

“As a result of the investigation, this faculty member will not be instructing this semester, and substantial disciplinary measures are being proposed.”

Jacobson contended that the alleged discrimination by Cheyfitz necessitates a more thorough civil rights examination by federal authorities.

“In addition to any actions Cornell takes, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights should conduct an independent investigation,” he asserted.

“Given recent developments at Cornell since October 7 and the administration’s substantial scrutiny, I believe an independent inquiry would be advantageous for all involved.”

Jacobson referred to the Justice Department’s longstanding history of executing similar civil rights investigations.

“This needs to be addressed seriously,” he stressed. “An extensive review is warranted, along with independent oversight to maintain community trust.”

The Post attempted to obtain comments from Cheyfitz.

Cheyfitz previously taught a course titled “Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance” in the spring semester of this year.

“We will explore the notion that Indigenous populations have historically engaged in global resistance against ongoing colonialism,” reads the course description. “The latter part will focus on a particular instance of this conflict: settler colonialism in Palestine/Israel.”

This particular course has faced backlash from other faculty members for allegedly conveying “preconceived interpretations of a complex dispute” to students, along with factual inaccuracies, as reported by Jewish Insider.

Cheyfitz has been vocally critical of Israel. Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, he took to social media to assert that “Israel started this war.”