The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has called for Cornell to end the investigation, citing Cornell’s supposed commitment to free speech.
The Ithaca Journal reports:
National group calls for Cornell to halt investigation into ValdezThe national Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) sent a letter Wednesday to university officials, demanding that the school halt their investigation into a social media post by student Maria Lima Valdez.Valdez — an undergraduate student majoring in Government and Africana Studies — allegedly posted the message “Zionists must die” on the social media platform Instagram, prompting the Jan. 11, response from Cornell president Martha Pollack, who announced that Valdez “will be held fully accountable and appropriately sanctioned,” for the comment.At the time of reporting, Valdez’s social media profiles on platforms including Instagram and LinkedIn have been taken down, and she is now under investigation by due to the posting, which Pollack said, attests to the commitment of the university to keep the campus safe and welcoming.FIRE asserted Wednesday that the announcement “flies in the face of Cornell’s free speech promises,” and that Valdez’s post did not constitute harassment.“Punishing clearly protected political speech is foreclosed by Cornell’s clear commitment to upholding student free speech rights, even when some consider the views expressed to be offensive or hateful,” FIRE Senior Program Officer Zach Greenberg said in a letter to university officials. “Cornell cannot keep its promise to respect students’ expressive freedoms if it also punishes Valdez.”In the letter, Greenberg requested on behalf of the group, a response from university officials confirming Cornell will not punish Valdez before the end of January.Valdez is active in the Cornell Tradition Fellowship, Mexsa, Residential Student Congress, and Cornell Outdoor Education groups and heads the Cornell Farmworkers Program.
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