Ivy League student who went viral for saying he’s ‘not interested in working for a Jew’ claims he’s still enrolled at Cornell

A student at Cornell University who went viral after saying he was “not interested in working for a Jew” claims he has faced no disciplinary action from the Ivy League school, according to a new report.Austin Franco, a rising junior at Cornell, made the remarks in an interview with Accuracy in Media, a conservative watchdog group that appears to have recorded the 19-year-old without his knowledge and under false pretenses.When asked what action the New York school had taken about remarks he made in June to a prospective employer, Franco said that although Cornell and its advocacy team had contacted him, he remains enrolled as a student.

“As of now, they said there’s not anything going on on their back end,” Franco said in the video, posted to X on July 22. “I think because I didn’t say anything that could be classified as hateful. There wasn’t really a leg they could go on.”

The controversy began last month after Franco responded to Gabe Einhorn, CEO of a real estate company, and his brother Aiden Einhorn, after they offered him a summer internship. “Not interested in working for a jew. Thanks,” Franco wrote, according to a post shared online by Gabe Einhorn, and a report from The Cornell Daily Sun.

open image in galleryA Cornell University student who went viral for saying he's 'not interested in working for a Jew' said he remains enrolled at the school, according to a conservative media watchdog group (Accuracy in Media)Gabe Einhorn, who said he is proudly Jewish, told The Cornell Daily Sun he was “taken aback” by the exchange and unsure how to respond.On June 8, he posted Franco’s eight-word message to X, writing: “He probably knows nothing about Jews [except] for what they tell him in college and on social media. Sad world.”

The post quickly went viral, drawing more than 2 million views.In a reply to Einhorn, Franco did not retract his comments or apologize.“My experiences with Jews have not been pleasant, both in person and online,” the Ivy League student wrote on X.

“This is not to say I [haven’t] had positive experiences, but on the aggregate that is not the case.”In a statement to The Cornell Daily Sun, the school’s student newspaper, Franco also said he identified the men as Jewish from their “first and last name, LinkedIn, and physiognomy.”open image in gallery'I mean I thought I was being nice.

Saying this is why I don’t want to work for you,' Franco said, according to a conservative watchdog group, Accuracy in Media (Accuracy in Media)“Cornell University learned of a deeply disturbing comment by a student on the Handshake platform in violation of the online job board’s terms of service,” the university said in a June statement.“This incident has been referred to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights for investigation under university policy,” the statement continued. “Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination in the strongest possible terms.

The university is steadfastly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every member of our community.”When contacted by The Independent, a university spokesperson referred to the previous statement, noting it remains “current.”The Independent has contacted Franco for further comment on the new video.

Elsewhere to Accuracy in Media — conducted, the group said, under the guise he was speaking with a “kindred spirit” — Franco conceded that the viral remark may have been ill-advised.“It might not have been the smartest thing to say,” Franco said, according to the watchdog group. “But the reaction was like overwhelming.

Not equal to what I said.”open image in gallery'Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination in the strongest possible terms,' the university said in a statement last month (Getty Images)He also argued that he had been polite when messaging the Einhorn brothers.“I mean I thought I was being nice.

Saying this is why I don’t want to work for you,” the student said, according to Accuracy in Media. “Most employers are just like, ‘Sorry, we can’t hire you.’ They don’t give you a reason.

At least you know, right?”After the video was published, Franco said on X that he’d been duped into speaking, claiming the group had reached out under a different name and expressed a willingness to “help with life after college and offer support.”“[It’s] sad that they were being disingenuous,” he added.

Franco’s story appeared to be supported by a July 23 X post by the Free Expression Foundation, which describes itself as a non-profit dedicated to First Amendment rights.“Accuracy in Media, a registered 501c3 nonprofit, impersonated [Justice in the Classroom, a social justice organization] to gain a meeting with [Austin Franco], the foundation wrote. “They surreptitiously recorded the conversation while pretending to be Justice in the Classroom.”

“The Free Expression Foundation is pursuing all available remedies,” the organization added.Join our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conv