October 14, 2025
Cornell Drops Its Discrimination Case Against a Pro-Palestine Professor After Public Outcry
By Nic Wong
After around 160 faculty members signed a resolution condemning the university, Cornell closed a disciplinary case against Dr. Eric Cheyfitz on the condition that he retires.
Cornell University has agreed to end disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Eric Cheyfitz—an 84-year-old professor of American studies who was battling a discrimination case that sparked concerns over academic freedom—in exchange for his retirement after a paid leave through June 2026, according to a copy of the deal reviewed by The Nation.
The agreement puts to rest months of investigations—carried out by different university bodies with conflicting findings—into whether Cheyfitz told a graduate student last semester to drop a class he was teaching about Gaza because the student is Israeli. Cheyfitz, who is Jewish and whose daughter and grandchildren live in Israel, denied the allegation.
The deal came a little over a week after The Nation reported in September that Cornell had canceled Cheyfitz’s classes this semester, and just days after around 160 faculty members at Cornell signed a Faculty Senate resolution, which has yet to be considered, condemning the university for threatening academic freedom and violating principles of due process in its handling of the case.
To Cheyfitz—an outspoken advocate for Palestinians who has taught at Cornell for more than two decades—the agreement is a “major victory,” especially when compared to the punishment the provost had earlier recommended: a two-semester unpaid suspension. Cheyfitz said his retirement was “obviously compelled,” but he added that he had planned to step down in the near future anyway and will not dial back his activism. “They wanted me out of the picture,” Cheyfitz said. “I’m not gagged. I will continue to talk about this case.”
