Cornell Dean Says An ISIS Student Organization Would Be Welcome On Campus In This Undercover Video

SteveHolt11 years ago

A Cornell dean is the subject of a mini controversy after a video released by Project Veritas, a conservative media group, showed him sanctioning an ISIS student organization on campus.

In the video, assistant dean of students Joseph Scaffido explains to a journalist posing as a prospective Moroccan student that ISIS and Hamas would be welcomed as student organizations on the Cornell campus.

After being asked multiple questions about the privileges of an ISIS or Hamas support group, including sending care packages and hosting speakers, the undercover journalist asked if the group would be allowed to host an “ISIS training session” for interested students.

“You would be allowed to do something like that. It’s just like bringing in a coach, to do a training, a sports trainer or something,” the Cornell dean responded.

Scaffido described the college town of Ithaca to be very liberal and open to diversified opinions.

Here is the video:

“The university is not going to look at different groups and say, ‘You’re not allowed to support that group because we don’t believe them’ or something like that. I think it’s just the opposite. I think the university wants the entire community to understand what’s going on in all parts of the world,” he says.

Scaffido isn’t saying anything particularly inflammatory, but his attempts at being politically correct may have backfired a bit. Cornell released this statement about the video to the New York Post:

“Cornell fully supports the free exchange of ideas and does not review or control the political ideology of our students. We do not, of course, tolerate unlawful advocacy of violence, and the comment about training by ISIS freedom fighters does not reflect university policy.”

[via New York Post]

Image via YouTube