A Cornell University student who drew widespread backlash after refusing an interview with a New York City startup because, according to his message, he did not want to be “working for a Jew,” says he expects to be back on the Ivy League campus this fall.
Austin Franco, 19, a rising junior at Cornell, sent the remark in June through the job platform Handshake to Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, the Jewish co-founders of VrfID. In a conversation with the conservative nonprofit Accuracy in Media, Franco suggested the university’s response had been minimal.
“As of now, they said there’s not anything going on on their back end. I think it’s because I didn’t say anything that could be classified as hateful,” Franco said to someone he did not realize was an “undercover investigator” for the group, who had arranged the meeting while posing as a fellow antisemite.
Franco said Cornell contacted him after the incident gained attention, but he claimed the school has not taken disciplinary action against him.
Asked about Franco’s assertion that he plans to return to campus, a Cornell spokesperson directed The Post to the university’s earlier statement and declined to comment further.
“This incident has been referred to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights for investigation under university policy,” the Cornell spokeswoman said.
“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.”
The university’s handling of the controversy has fueled anger and concern among Jewish students and community leaders, who say Cornell’s response has fallen short.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, told The Post this reflects how alarmingly “normalized” antisemitism has become.
“Cornell is a place of learning, and yet a student can openly declare that he will not work for a Jew, impose his own private boycott and still sit in its classrooms,” Schneier said.
“I refuse to believe that any other form of bigotry, racial or religious, would be treated with such tolerance.”
Davian Gekman, a Cornell student graduating in 2027, described Franco as “the worst of the worst.”
“Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. If the school administration is unable to do anything, then it is the bodies’ responsibility to do so,” he said.
In the clip posted Wednesday to X by Accuracy in Media, Franco admitted that his hateful way of declining the interview wasn’t “the smartest thing to say.”
“But the reaction was like, overwhelming. Not equal to what I said,” he said.
“I mean, I thought I was being nice. Saying this is why I don’t want to work for you.”
He also confirmed that he’s raked in about $25,000 in donations from his twisted supporters.
Franco, who hails from Virginia, described antisemitism as “very widespread among the younger generation” as he blamed The Chosen People for his employment struggles.
“That’s the problem I’m having. I’m going to Cornell. I’m applying for all these jobs. The only thing I’m getting is unpaid internships working for Jews. Yeah, pretty much only Jews actually,” he said.
“The company I was working at prior was also run by a Jew. Yeah, that’s why I got fired.”
Franco used to work at the kosher station at Cornell’s dining hall, according to students familiar with the situation.
Franco wrote on X that he met with Accuracy in Media because they claimed to be a group that wanted to offer him financial support and post-grad job opportunities.
“It’s sad that they were being disingenuous,” he whined.
Franco did not immediately return a request for comment.
