A controversy has erupted at Cornell University. What was intended to be an evening promoting "cultural dialogue" on the war in Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ended Thursday in an unusual incident and a bitter exchange of accusations between the university's president and a group of pro-Palestinian students.
The incident occurred at the conclusion of a discussion hosted by the Cornell Political Union. As the event ended, students accompanied university president Dr. Michael Kotlikoff to his car. According to the students, they sought to protest the suspension of demonstrators and new restrictions on freedom of expression on campus that took effect in March 2025.
Video: Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff's car hits a protester. Credit: cornellians_only
"You're running over a student"
In footage that circulated from the scene, the president's car is seen slowly reversing while students surround it and film what is happening. At one point, the car appears to make contact with one of the students, Hudson Athas, 21, who stumbled backward. "You're running over a student? Am I allowed to stand here?" Athas shouted at the car before it accelerated and left. Another student, Aiden Vallecillo, 22, claimed the car rolled over his foot. Medical teams called to the scene examined him but found no serious injuries.
Dr. Kotlikoff presented a completely different account. In a statement issued by the university, the president described himself as the victim of violence. He said the students surrounded his car, banged on the windows, and tried to prevent him from leaving while shouting at him.
Conflicting accounts and video footage
"I waited until I saw a gap behind the car and, using the automatic safety and braking systems, slowly maneuvered to exit the parking lot," Kotlikoff said. He added that this amounted to "harassment and intimidation designed to silence opposing views."
Here's video of President Kotlikoff driving into the students & the questions that got him so upset, courtesy of @CornellSun https://t.co/eOv6b83xED pic.twitter.com/VTl5KA6sBv
— nick (@unionnick) May 2, 2026
The students, however, firmly denied his claims. "The allegation that we banged on the windows is false – it simply didn't happen," Vallecillo told 12 News. "We did not prevent him from leaving." It is worth noting that videos published so far do not show the students hitting the car, though tensions on campus remain at a peak.
The student group Students for a Democratic Cornell described the president's conduct as "irresponsible." The university administration, meanwhile, backed Kotlikoff, emphasizing that the incident occurred against the backdrop of its new enforcement policy against unauthorized demonstrations on campus.
