This ACF petition was created to send a letter of support to Cornell University President Kotlikoff and members of the Board of Trustees.

ACF-Cornell Commends President Kotlikoff for Principled Leadership

Dear President Kotlikoff and Members of the Board of Trustees:

We write as Cornell alumni, parents, students, faculty, and community members to express our support for your leadership during a difficult and consequential moment for the university.

Following the events outside Day Hall on April 30, we appreciated your willingness to clearly condemn harassment and intimidation. Universities must remain places where disagreement and debate are permitted, but obstruction, intimidation, and threats are not.

We also appreciate your continued commitment to upholding Cornell’s core values, including academic freedom and open inquiry. At a time when university leaders face intense public and political pressure from many directions, maintaining those values requires both moral clarity and courage.

Furthermore, we wish to extend our deep appreciation to the Ad Hoc Special Committee of the Board of Trustees for its thorough review of the April 30 incident and for standing firmly with President Kotlikoff. We commend the Committee for clearly reinforcing the university’s standards for safety and respectful conduct, and for its confidence in President Kotlikoff’s integrity and steadfast commitment to Cornell’s values.

Your willingness to speak clearly and resist pressure to selectively apply the university’s values reflects the kind of principled leadership that many throughout the Cornell community continue to support.

Sincerely,
[The Names and Cornell Affiliations of Signers]