Cornell University suspends Friday classes in wake of death threats against Jewish students

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Cornell University said it would cancel all classes Friday due to "extraordinary stress" in the wake of anti-Semitic threats and rising tensions on campus since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The break was to serve as a "community day" for students and staff to heal and think about how to make the university a more nurturing place, the Ivy League school said in a group email to its Ithaca and Geneva campuses.

"No classes will be held, and faculty and staff will be excused from work, except for employees who provide essential services," wrote Provost Michael Kotlikoff and Christine Lovely, vice president and chief human resources officer.

"We hope that everyone will use this restorative time to take care of yourselves and reflect on how we can nurture the kind of caring, mutually supportive community that we all value."

However, the shutdown is not mandatory. Activities that are problematic to re-arrange, such as athletic, non-credit bearing academic activities and other special events will be allowed to go ahead.

The police presence in and around the university has been stepped up in response to violent threats against Jews allegedly posted online by a Cornell student on Sunday and a report of a man brandishing a firearm on campus Wednesday. Ithaca police were unable to substantiate the firearm report but their investigation is ongoing.

The student accused of threatening to stab and rape Jewish students and "shoot up the school," 21-year-old Cornell Junior Patrick Dai, appeared in a federal court in Syracuse on Wednesday charged with making a threat across state lines.

Lead prosecutor Geoffrey Brown, read to the court some of the comments Dai allegedly posted on "Greekrank," an online chat room about Greek life on campus in which he wrote that he would "shoot up" a Jewish dining hall.

In another post, he is alleged to have threatened to "stab" or "slit the throat" of Jewish men, and rape or throw over cliffs any Jewish women he came across on campus. Prosecutors, attributing their words to Dai, said he also wanted to behead Jewish babies and "bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you" Jews.

U.S. prosecutors sought to keep him detained on remand in Broome County Jail but he declined his right to a bail hearing, volunteering to remain in jail for the time being. A preliminary hearing date was set for Nov. 15. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Dai was arrested Tuesday after the FBI traced the IP address of the devices used to make the posts to a location in Ithaca as well as a property in Dai's hometown of Pittsford, N.Y., where federal officers executed a search warrant that evening.