Students Condemn Cornell VP's Statement Allowing Hypothetical KKK Member to Speak on Campus

Cornell University's Black Students United (BSU) has strongly condemned a recent statement by Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina, in which he suggested that a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) representative could hypothetically be allowed to speak on campus if invited by a faculty member or student group, according to The Cornell Daily Sun.

Malina’s comments, made during a private Zoom call with Jewish parents, have ignited protests and calls for his removal.

In response to the remarks, about 180 students rallied from William Straight Hall to Day Hall last Friday, chanting, “Fire Joel Malina!” and “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Joel Malina has got to go.” Upon arriving at Day Hall, the protesters taped a list of demands to the entrance, including a call for Malina’s dismissal.

BSU expressed that Malina’s comments, which surfaced earlier in the week, pose a threat to the safety and well-being of minority students on campus. In addition to demanding Malina’s firing, BSU urged Cornell University to reverse the suspension of international graduate student Momodou Taal, who had been disciplined for his role in a career fair protest. The group also called for negotiations with Cornell Graduate Students United over Taal’s working conditions, revisions to the Interim Expressive Activity Policy, and reduced police presence and surveillance at campus protests.

“All students of color at Cornell are under attack by the administration. We do not feel safe, seen, or heard,” read an Instagram post advertising BSU’s emergency meeting and community action night, which was held before Friday’s rally.

Other campus organizations, including La Asociación Latina, Native American and Indigenous Students at Cornell, the South Asian Council, and Haven, also voiced opposition to Malina’s comments via social media, adding to the growing chorus of concern.

One masked protest speaker, addressing the rally, said, “The events of the last two days mean nothing could be the same... Now we can’t go back.”

The call for Malina’s resignation comes on the heels of a meeting between BSU leadership, Interim President Michael Kotlikoff, and Vice President of Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi, where concerns were raised about student safety in the wake of Taal’s suspension. Taal, an international student, risks deportation if he withdraws from the university, as it would violate his F-1 visa status.

“This past year, we have seen which lives Cornell values over others,” another protest speaker said, emphasizing the perceived racial inequities on campus.

Photo Credit: Ming DeMers/Sun Photography Editor