Cornell President Kotlikoff Confronted by Anti-Israel Protesters After Debate, Drives Away as One Claims Foot Run Over

A confrontation between Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff and anti-Israel student protesters has drawn scrutiny over conduct and free speech at the Ivy League school.

Ezra Galperin, a Cornell class of 2027 student, told Fox News Digital the situation "was definitely an escalation" from prior anti-Israel activity on campus. "I don't think there's a university president in the country right now who isn't facing some sort of scrutiny, but certainly, at Cornell, something like this was unprecedented," said Galperin, who is part of Cornellians for Israel leadership but spoke for himself.

The clash happened April 30 after Kotlikoff introduced an Israel-Palestine debate hosted by the Cornell Political Union and co-sponsored by Cornellians for Israel, Cornell Progressives, and Students for Justice in Palestine. In a statement, he called the event "vigorous and civil" and "an example of the kind of open discourse that we prize in our academic community."

Kotlikoff said a group accosted him as he left, including students and non-students, some known to Cornell for past verbal and online abuse of administrators and staff. The group had two people previously banned from campus after a disruptive protest.

Viral footage shows individuals questioning and filming Kotlikoff as he walked to his car. After answering questions, he told them he would not engage further and asked them to stop recording, but they kept following.

"I waited until I saw space behind the car and then, using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, was able to slowly maneuver my car from the parking space and exit the parking lot," Kotlikoff wrote.

In the video, one person yells, "he just ran over my f------ foot!" It is unclear if the foot was harmed. A separate video from Students for a Democratic Cornell shows someone struck by the vehicle while behind it.

"The behavior I experienced last night is not protest. It is harassment and intimidation, with the direct motive of silencing speech," Kotlikoff said. "It has no place in an academic community, no place in a democracy, and can have no place at Cornell."

Galperin called the clash surprising. "It just kind of came out of nowhere," he said. He recognized students in the video, including one he served with in the Cornell Student Assembly, where that student was ethics director.

"I'm surprised and disappointed at the whole situation. Cornell has generally remained a good place to be over the last few years, and I hope that this incident doesn't change that," Galperin said.

Students for a Democratic Cornell posted a statement on Instagram calling for Kotlikoff to restore the independent judicial system, end suspensions of nonviolent protesters, commission an independent investigation, and hold a meeting on their demands. "Kotlikoff’s violent response to student inquiry is just another example of his administration’s repressive crackdown on student speech," the group said. "Responsibility does not fall solely on Kotlikoff. Any attempts by the University to make him a scapegoat for an incident they are complicit in is yet another tactic to silence student dissent."

A university spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The University is investigating the events that took place on April 30, involving a group of individuals and President Kotlikoff. The University will take action, as appropriate, based on the results of the investigation and in line with its policies, which are designed to uphold a safe environment for the Cornell community."

Cornell Law School Professor William Jacobson told Fox News Digital the incident looked "like a setup" by anti-Israel agitators. "What's clear to me is that this was a deliberate provocation," he said. He described it as creating a "decision dilemma" for Kotlikoff, where any response would make him look bad.

Jacobson said standing behind the car could violate New York law against intentionally restricting someone's movement without consent in a way that interferes with their liberty. "These student groups think they are immune to the rules that apply to everybody else. This president said, 'No, you're not immune to rules that applied to everybody else,' and that's what created this whole controversy," he added.