Internal emails suggest Cornell considers race in hiring despite merit-based claims
Although Cornell University states it hires based solely on merit, internal documents suggest the school may factor race into hiring decisions—potentially violating federal law.
Cornell has implemented 'diversity statements' and sought out 'diversity hires,' according to a June 26 City Journal report.
Although Cornell University states it hires based solely on merit, internal documents suggest the school may factor race into hiring decisions—potentially violating federal law.
Cornell has implemented “diversity statements” and sought out “diversity hires,” according to a June 26 City Journal report.
The publication obtained a 2022 email from a Cornell professor detailing the importance of diversity statements in hiring. The email details how candidates were dropped from hiring consideration because of weak Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements.
“In the end, we dropped just one candidate from further consideration because their [DEI] statement was so seriously and unambiguously weak that we could not imagine them being a finalist,” the email reportedly stated. “That same process led us to identify a few others who also had weak [DEI] statements.”
Another internal email from 2020 shows that Cornell has purposefully and explicitly sought out a “diversity hire.” The email, written by a hiring committee member, discusses “extensive” conversations with Cornell administrators about a “hoped-for diversity hire.”
“What we should be doing is inviting one person whom we have identified as being somebody that we would like to join our department and not have that person in competition with others,” the message continued.
This evidence has surfaced despite assurances from the Cornell administration that nothing but merit is considered in the school’s hiring process. Earlier this year, for instance, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff asserted that the school does not consider race in admissions or hiring decisions.
“Cornell is committed to merit-based decisions in all of its processes,” Kotlikoff stated in a Feb. 21 memo. “Just as we do not exclude anyone at Cornell for reasons irrelevant to merit, neither do we admit or evaluate students, hire or promote employees, award chairs or tenure, or make any other merit-driven decisions at Cornell based on race, ethnicity, or other attributes not relevant to merit.”
[RELATED: Over 70 California community colleges participate in race-based scholarship program]
Campus Reform reported in March that Cornell removed references to DEI on its website following the Trump administration’s crackdown on the controversial policy.
The school previously affirmed the “the value of diversity,” stated that it “embraces diversity,” and affirmed that it has a “history of diversity and inclusion.”
Campus Reform has contacted Cornell University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
