During an Oct. 22 Faculty Senate meeting, Provost Kavita Bala addressed what she deemed as “misleading information” surrounding the case that found Eric Cheyfitz, a former professor in literatures in English, in violation of anti-discrimination law.
“The University normally does not share confidential personnel matters in public,” Bala said. “However, the exception in this case has been made because of the amount of false and misleading information that's out there that's created understandable concern and confusion.”
Cheyfitz underwent a discrimination investigation after he allegedly asked an Israeli graduate student in his class to drop his spring course on Gaza, AIIS 3500: Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance.
Cheyfitz previously told The Sun that the Israeli graduate student’s behavior in class was “disruptive.” According to Bala, the former professor was set to appear before a faculty review panel on Nov. 3, but accepted a deal to retire before the review, subsequently ending the investigation proceedings.
A Faculty Senate committee, which has jurisdiction under University Policy 6.4, Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct, had ruled in favor of Cheytfitz. However, in light of Cheyfitz’s retirement, the University deferred to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights’ initial finding of discrimination as the ultimate case outcome.
Why Cheyfitz Asked the Student to Leave
Bala noted that in courses on controversial subjects, different...
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