Cornell’s Board of Trustees announced the establishment of an Ad Hoc Special Committee to investigate the incident between President Michael Kotlikoff and a group of students on April 30, according to a statement sent to the Cornell community by the committee on Thursday evening.
Video footage obtained by The Sun shows that Kotlikoff drove into one student and ran over the foot of another after they blocked his car. The incident took place after a group of students and alumni followed Kotlikoff and surrounded his car to ask questions about free expression on campus following a debate on the Israel-Palestine conflict, hosted by the Cornell Political Union.
Prior to the release of the video footage, on May 1, Kotlikoff sent a statement to the Cornell community titled “Harassment and intimidation incident.” In the statement, he accused the students of “banging on the windows” of his car and claimed that he “waited until [he] saw space behind the car and then … was able to slowly maneuver [his] car from the parking space and exit the parking lot.” The video footage obtained by The Sun showed students standing around the car, but not banging on it.
The Board of Trustees committee will be composed of four members according to the statement: Chair Anne Meinig Smalling ’87 and Co-Vice Chairs Howard Morgan Ph.D. ’68, Beckie Robertson ’82 and Stephen Robinson ’81 J.D. ’84.
The committee noted that Kotlikoff has recused himself from “any involvement” in the committee and investigation.
“The investigation is being conducted by the Cornell University Division of Public Safety consistent with its existing policies and procedures,” the committee wrote in their statement, adding that “The Board is committed to ensuring a fair and thorough review guided by adherence to university policies and the best interests of the Cornell community.”
Coral Platt is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at cplatt@cornellsun.com.
