Kotlikoff allegedly backs vehicle into anti-Israel protesters at Cornell
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 6
Kotlikoff allegedly backs vehicle into anti-Israel protesters at Cornell
12 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 6
Cornell released April 30 surveillance footage showing the president reversing as several people surrounded his car after an Israel-Palestine debate in an Ithaca campus parking lot.
One person is heard shouting that his foot was run over, while another video appears to show someone struck; the university said it is investigating and will act under campus policies.
Kotlikoff called the confrontation harassment and intimidation, while Students for a Democratic Cornell demanded an independent inquiry, adding to wider disputes over protest, discipline and free speech on campus.
Amid conflicting claims, what will unedited footage reveal about the Cornell president's collision with protesters?
How will this confrontation impact the future of free speech and protest rights on university campuses?
Cornell University’s April 30 Clash: President Kotlikoff, Student Protesters, and the Fight Over Free Speech
Overview
On April 30, 2026, following a campus debate on Israel and Palestine, President Michael Kotlikoff was followed by students from Students for a Democratic Cornell as he left the event. During this encounter, Kotlikoff drove his car away using safety features but injured two students, including Aiden Vallecillo, whose foot was run over. The students contacted campus police and received medical attention. Kotlikoff described the students' actions as harassment in a May 1 statement, prompting Cornell to release surveillance footage that contradicted some claims but maintained support for the president. An internal investigation began amid student fears of retaliation, all unfolding within a tense campus climate shaped by recent federal settlements and stricter protest rules.