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After a black Cornell University student was attacked last week, the president has directed the Greek system on campus to develop new diversity training and will set up a new task force to address campus prejudices.
The student who was assaulted told The New York Times he returned home to find a group of students arguing with a housemate outside. As the victim tried to force them to leave, one of the students shouted the N-word -- which led to four of the five present punching the student in the face.
A 19-year-old white student was charged with one count of third-degree assault. The university is investigating whether those students were connected to the now unaffiliated Psi Upsilon fraternity. It was first suspended in 2016 and later banned for throwing a party during a probationary period.
Cornell President Martha E. Pollack said in a statement Sunday that the university would not consider Psi Upsilon being reinstated.
Student group Black Students United at Cornell University blamed the fraternity in a Facebook post Friday.
“Cornell University is an institution that prides itself on the all-inclusive statement ‘Any person, any study,’ seen proudly on every brochure, monument and building found on this campus. However, while this sentiment may be the passive pride and joy of our education here, this statement does not accurately reflect the campus environment. ‘Any person, any study’ serves as a mockery to us, due to the lack of interconnected inclusivity that Cornell claims to promote,” the post said.
Pollack said she will institute a task force charged with examining the “persistent problems” of bigotry on the campus.
“The task force will identify the problems that are preventing us from being a fully welcoming and inclusive community and make specific recommendations about how our community can move forward with greater respect, understanding and inclusivity,” she said in her statement.
This is a “starting point,” Pollack said, adding that the university intends to soon unveil other measures that support an inclusive campus environment.
