Cornell University has launched an investigation after a student rejected a job interview with an antisemitic message [3].
The incident highlights growing concerns regarding hate speech and religious discrimination on U.S. college campuses and within professional recruitment processes.
Austin Franco, a 19-year-old [1] Cornell University student, applied for a summer internship [1] with the startup VryfID. The company was co-founded by Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, who are Jewish [1]. According to reports, Franco declined the interview by telling the founders, "I am not interested in working for a Jew" [1].
"We were shocked and hurt by the message," Gabe Einhorn said [1].
The exchange sparked public outrage and prompted university officials to take action. A Cornell University spokesperson said, "Cornell has opened an investigation into the incident" [3].
Reports on Franco's motivations differ. Some accounts state he refused the position due to his bias [1]. However, other reports indicate that in a follow-up comment, Franco suggested the message was a misunderstanding rather than an expression of pure antisemitic bias [2].
The university is reviewing the matter to determine if the student's conduct violated campus policies regarding discrimination, or harassment. The founders of VryfID have sought to bring public attention to the incident to highlight the challenges Jewish entrepreneurs face in the current academic and professional climate.
“"I am not interested in working for a Jew."”
This incident reflects a volatile atmosphere on American campuses where political and religious tensions are increasingly spilling into professional interactions. By investigating a student's private communication with an external employer, Cornell is signaling that hate speech may have disciplinary consequences even when it occurs outside of a traditional classroom setting.
