{
  "id": "2023-10-29-cornell-university-antisemitic-threats",
  "slug": "cornell-university-antisemitic-threats-2023-10-29",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Cornell University",
    "shortName": "Cornell",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "CornellALERT",
    "enrollment": 25000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2023-10-29",
    "endDate": "2023-11-03",
    "type": "threat-of-violence",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Online antisemitic threats against Jewish students; student arrested, classes canceled",
    "headlinePublic": "Online antisemitic threats against Jewish students; student arrested, classes canceled",
    "summary": "On October 28-29, 2023, a series of violent antisemitic threats targeting Cornell University's Jewish community were [posted on the GreekRank online forum](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/us/cornell-university-antisemetic-threats-online-investigation/index.html), including threats to shoot up the kosher dining hall and kill Jewish students. Patrick Dai, 21, a Cornell junior from Pittsford, New York, was [arrested on October 31 and federally charged](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209839480/cornell-student-arrested-antisemitic-threats), leading the university to cancel all classes on November 3.",
    "outcome": "Patrick Dai was arrested on October 31, 2023, and charged with making threats using interstate commerce. Cornell canceled classes on November 3 as a 'community day' to address campus stress. Dai pleaded guilty in April 2024 and was sentenced on August 12, 2024 by Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes to 21 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release with internet-use restrictions. The court found the offense was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Evening of October 29, 2023 EDT (the statement is undated but was distributed October 29)",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Earlier today, a series of horrendous, antisemitic messages threatening violence to the Jewish community and specifically naming 104 West — the home of the Center for Jewish Living — was posted on a website unaffiliated with Cornell. Law enforcement was immediately notified. At this time, Cornell Police (CUPD) are on the scene and investigating. Police will continue to remain on site to ensure students and community members are safe.\n\nCornell Police have also notified the FBI of a potential hate crime. Threats of violence are absolutely intolerable, and we will work to ensure that the person or people who posted them are punished to the full extent of the law. Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe; we will continue to prioritize that.\n\nWe will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell. During my time as president, I have repeatedly denounced bigotry and hatred, both on and off our campus.\n\nThe virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism is real and deeply impacting our Jewish students, faculty and staff, as well as the entire Cornell community. This incident highlights the need to combat the forces that are dividing us and driving us toward hate. This cannot be what defines us at Cornell.\n\nAll of our community deserves to feel safe at Cornell. If you become aware of any threats to your safety or to the safety of the community, please contact CUPD at 607-255-1111. We also encourage you to download the RAVE Guardian app, which will enable you to report any safety concerns to CUPD in real time. In the days ahead, we will work to reinforce a culture of trust, respect and safety at Cornell. Regardless of your beliefs, backgrounds or perspectives, I urge all of you to come together with the empathy and support for each other that we so greatly need in this difficult time.\n\nMartha E. Pollack\nPresident",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://statements.cornell.edu/2023/20231029-antisemitic-threats.cfm",
      "sourceDescription": "Cornell University Statements archive: President Martha E. Pollack's October 29, 2023 community statement on antisemitic threats",
      "annotations": [
        "This is a community-wide email/statement from President Pollack, not a CornellALERT SMS; Cornell distinguishes between mass-notification SMS alerts and presidential statements, and the latter became the primary public communication for this incident",
        "'104 West' is the campus shorthand for the Center for Jewish Living at 104 West Avenue and was named verbatim in the threats",
        "Pollack's statement explicitly characterizes the threats as 'a potential hate crime' and references FBI involvement, establishing the federal framing within hours",
        "The statement directs community members to RAVE Guardian rather than to a CornellALERT SMS update, signaling that this incident was investigated through statements rather than rolling SMS alerts"
      ],
      "characterCount": 1837
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "October 31, 2023 EDT",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://statements.cornell.edu/2023/20231031-suspect-identified.cfm",
      "sourceDescription": "Cornell University Statements — Suspect identified (Oct 31, 2023)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "November 2, 2023 EDT: the announcement email from Provost Michael Kotlikoff and VP/CHRO Christine Lovely was sent the evening of November 1/morning of November 2, declaring Friday November 3 a community day",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "No classes will be held, and faculty and staff will be excused from work, except for employees who provide essential services. We hope that everyone will use this restorative time to take care of yourselves and reflect on how we can nurture the kind of caring, mutually supportive community that we all value.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://cornellsun.com/2023/11/01/classes-canceled-friday-nov-3-for-community-day-response-to-extraordinary-stress/",
      "sourceDescription": "The Cornell Daily Sun live coverage, quoting the Kotlikoff/Lovely November 1, 2023 community-day email verbatim",
      "annotations": [
        "The Cornell Daily Sun quoted the announcement email from Provost Michael Kotlikoff and VP/CHRO Christine Lovely verbatim",
        "Cornell described November 3 as a 'community day' in acknowledgment of the stress students had endured"
      ],
      "characterCount": 309
    }
  ],
  "context": "On October 28-29, 2023, a series of [violent antisemitic messages were posted to the Cornell section of GreekRank](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/us/cornell-university-antisemetic-threats-online-investigation/index.html), an online discussion forum unaffiliated with Cornell University, threatening to kill and injure Jewish students on campus. The posts specifically threatened to 'shoot up' the kosher dining hall at [104 West Avenue, the Center for Jewish Living](https://statements.cornell.edu/2023/20231029-antisemitic-threats.cfm), and included threats to stab, rape, and throw Jewish students off cliffs. The FBI immediately launched an investigation, and enhanced security was deployed to Jewish life facilities on campus. On October 31, [Patrick Dai, 21, a Cornell junior from Pittsford, New York, was arrested](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209839480/cornell-student-arrested-antisemitic-threats) and federally charged with making threats using interstate commerce. The threats came amid a nationwide spike in antisemitic incidents following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting a nearly 400% increase in antisemitic incidents in the days after. Cornell [canceled all classes on November 3](https://www.npr.org/2023/11/03/1210556263/cornell-cancels-classes-following-antisemitic-threats) as a 'community day' to address the extraordinary stress on campus. Dai pleaded guilty and on August 12, 2024 was [sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes to 21 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release](https://www.npr.org/2024/08/13/nx-s1-5073786/cornell-university-student-sentenced-antisemitic-threats); the court found the offense was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The threats specifically named Jewish campus facilities, forcing enhanced security at the Center for Jewish Living",
    "The incident occurred during a documented nationwide surge in antisemitic threats following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel",
    "Cornell's decision to cancel classes as a 'community day' reflected the severity of the psychological impact on students"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Authorities investigating online threats at Cornell (CNN)",
      "url": "https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/us/cornell-university-antisemetic-threats-online-investigation/index.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cornell student arrested in antisemitic threats (NPR)",
      "url": "https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209839480/cornell-student-arrested-antisemitic-threats",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cornell cancels classes following antisemitic threats (NPR)",
      "url": "https://www.npr.org/2023/11/03/1210556263/cornell-cancels-classes-following-antisemitic-threats",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Antisemitic threats to our community (Cornell University)",
      "url": "https://statements.cornell.edu/2023/20231029-antisemitic-threats.cfm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Former Cornell student sentenced to 21 months (NPR)",
      "url": "https://www.npr.org/2024/08/13/nx-s1-5073786/cornell-university-student-sentenced-antisemitic-threats",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cornell University Statements — Suspect identified (Oct 31, 2023)",
      "url": "https://statements.cornell.edu/2023/20231031-suspect-identified.cfm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "The Cornell Daily Sun live coverage, quoting the Kotlikoff/Lovely November 1, 2023 community-day email verbatim",
      "url": "https://cornellsun.com/2023/11/01/classes-canceled-friday-nov-3-for-community-day-response-to-extraordinary-stress/",
      "type": "other"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "antisemitism",
    "threat-of-violence",
    "hate-crime",
    "classes-cancelled",
    "fbi-investigation",
    "ivy-league",
    "new-york",
    "private-university",
    "online-threats"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-20",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}