Cornell University cancels classes Friday amid ‘extraordinary stress,’ following antisemitic threats

Cornell University has canceled classes on Friday after a student was charged with making online antisemitic threats against Jewish people on campus.

Instead of classes, students and staff will enjoy a “community day,” November 3.

A spokesperson at the Ivy League school said that decision to close on Friday was made “in recognition of the extraordinary stress of the past few weeks.” 

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The cancellation comes after Cornell University junior Patrick Dai was arrested Tuesday for writing antisemitic posts on a Greek life message board.

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“Watch out pig Jews. Jihad is coming. Nowhere is safe. Your synagogue will become graveyards. Your women will be raped, and your children will be beheaded. Glory to Allah,” Dai allegedly wrote Oct. 28, according to a criminal complaint.

The posts were made in the Cornell University discussion forum under various usernames including “kill jews, “hamas soldier” and “sieg heil.”

Dai allegedly threatened to “shoot up 104 west,” a campus dining hall that serves kosher food. The cafeteria is next door to the Cornell Center for Jewish Living, which provides housing for Jewish students.

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In another post on Oct. 29, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig Jews,” whom he described as “rats” that need to be eliminated.

In that same post, Dai allegedly threatened to slit the throats of any Jewish males he sees on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish females, and to behead any Jewish babies in front of their parents, court papers say. 

In a press release Tuesday, Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina condemned Dai’s action and thanked law enforcement that acted “so swiftyly.”

“Cornell University is grateful to the FBI for working so swiftly to identify and apprehend the suspect in this case, a Cornell student, who remains in custody…” Malina said.

“We remain shocked by and condemn these horrific, antisemitic threats and believe they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Malina said. “We know that our campus community will continue to support one another in the days ahead.”

The engineering student faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for charges of posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications.

Fox News’ Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.