Cornell University history professor Russell Rickford, who faced backlash after calling the October 7 massacre of Israelis “exhilarating,” has returned to teaching nearly a year after taking voluntary leave. Rickford had issued an apology following widespread condemnation for his comments, which came just days after the attacks by Hamas that left over 1,200 dead in Israel.
He found the 10/7 massacre, rape and torture of 1,200 civilians as “exhilarating.”
Unsurprisingly, he was welcomed back.
This is the personification of elite educational rot and antisemitism at the core of so many anti-Israel campus protests. pic.twitter.com/vqmRCjkbGc
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 16, 2024
Despite calls for his resignation, including from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Claudia Tenney, and a petition with over 11,000 signatures, Rickford returned to Cornell without facing any disciplinary action. He is currently teaching courses such as African Americans Vision of America and Socialism in America.
Rickford’s return has drawn further criticism, with Senator John Fetterman describing it as an example of “elite educational rot” and condemning the university’s decision to welcome him back after his controversial remarks.
