Terrifying Threats Against Cornell Jewish Students Reported to FBI

ITHACA (VINnews) — Officials are investigating extremely disturbing online threats made against Jewish students at Cornell University. In addition, the Hillel center advised students to avoid its building for the time being.

The upstate NY Ivy League school was on high alert Sunday night after a series of “horrendous, antisemitic” messages threatening the Jewish community were posted on a public forum.

The FBI, in addition to school police, are looking into the horrific threats which were posted to a website (not affiliated with the university) and targeted “104 West,” which is the Center of Jewish Living (CJL) on campus.

One threat called for people to follow a Jewish person home and “slit their throats,” adding, “Rats need to be eliminated from Cornell.”

The school’s Hillel Center said it was aware of the threats, in a social media post, saying the Cornell Police Department is monitoring the situation and on the scene.

“At this time, we advise that students and staff avoid the building out of an abundance of caution,” the post read.

The CJL sent an email which said: “Our students are always our top priority, and we are doing and will do everything we can to ensure their safety. We will continue to notify you with updates as we receive them,” the email read.

School President Martha E. Pollack issued a statement, calling the messages “horrendous.”

“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,” Pollack said. “Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe; we will continue to prioritize that. We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell.”

“We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell. During my time as president, I have repeatedly denounced bigotry and hatred, both on and off our campus,” Pollack also wrote.

“The virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism is real and deeply impacting our Jewish students, faculty and staff, as well as the entire Cornell community.”