Scientist Suing Cornell Over ‘Diversity Hire’ Publishes Full Complaint
“Cornell denied me—and other qualified applicants—any chance to apply or even know the job existed”
Last week, we highlighted the piece Colin Wright wrote for the Wall Street Journal. Now there’s more.
From his Substack:
Cornell Quietly Violated My Civil Rights. Now I’m Taking Legal Action.
On Wednesday, I announced in The Wall Street Journal that, with representation by the America First Policy Institute, I am taking legal action against Cornell University for racial discrimination in hiring. Newly obtained internal Cornell emails show that the university deliberately excluded qualified candidates—myself included—from a faculty position in my exact field solely because of race. Cornell set up a hidden hiring process to secure a predetermined “diversity hire,” violating federal law under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint provides a fuller account of that discrimination, supported by documentary evidence. It explains the legal basis for my claim, including why the filing deadline should be extended under the equitable tolling doctrine. By concealing the job and using race-based hiring criteria, Cornell denied me—and other qualified applicants—any chance to apply or even know the job existed.
Cornell’s actions were not just unfair or against its own policies—they were illegal. This complaint shows how Cornell intentionally created and carried out a secret, discriminatory hiring plan, kept it hidden from public view, and in doing so caused lasting harm to my career.
On June 26th, 2025, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) filed a Civil Rights Complaint against Cornell University for systemic discrimination. That complaint included internal Cornell University emails exposing not just racially discriminatory hiring practices in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000e2(a), but the lengths to which Cornell University went to hide their conduct so that otherwise qualified individuals, such as myself, would be unaware that their rights were violated. Simultaneously with AFPI’s complaint, a news story featuring unredacted versions of the emails discussed in the complaint was also published.
In December 2020, the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Vice Provost, and Vice Provost in the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity of Cornell University instructed faculty members to “do something a little out of the ordinary”: secure a predetermined “diversity hire” by eliminating open competition entirely. (See Exhibit 1). To ensure their “hoped-for diversity hire” was appointed, these administrators implemented a process that inherently discriminated on the basis of race. The plan was straightforward: identify a candidate who met the University’s preferred “diversity” criteria and invite them one at a time to interview for the role. No other candidates would be solicited, permitted to apply, informed of the available position, or considered, thereby foreclosing any opportunity for merit-based evaluation or equal access to the position.
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Comments
every time I see articles like the above I cry for victim, but moreso for my alma mater
I hope he’s able to show standing etc. I hope he actually filed an application and they told him to go pound sand.
We did a several “diversity” hires, and I kept wishing one of the white males who had the best qualifications but was downgraded would sue. The attitude of the College was that if someone sued, then the settlement would just be part of the cost of doing business. I hope it turns out to be a large cost for Cornell.
If I’m reading this correctly, he never had a chance to apply because the position and whole hiring process was kept from public view. Under those circumstances the knowledge that race based hiring had taken place might not emerge for some time. I bet this type of discrimination has been occurring far more often than anyone knew, and now these complaints are going to proliferate.
LI needs a classier selection of ads.
Today’s flood of “This lump of worms will come out of you in the morning” is especially appetizing.
All the more so since the “worms” are obvious vegetable fakes.