Cornell student rejected job interview from Jewish employer, prompting university review

Cornell University said it opened a review after a student, identified as Austin Franco, refused an interview invitation from a Jewish entrepreneur and stated that he did not want to work for a Jewish person. The message was sent through the student hiring platform Handshake and spread quickly online, drawing broad attention.

In response to a request from mako, a Cornell spokesperson said the university had found the message, which violates Handshake’s terms of use, and had referred the matter to its Office of Civil Rights as a bias-related incident. The university said, "Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination in the strongest terms. The university is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for every member of the community."

Mako reported that the case was first exposed by entrepreneur Gabe Einhorn, who works in real estate and artificial intelligence, after he published the message he had received. Einhorn said the sender likely knows little about Jews beyond what he has absorbed on campus and on social media.

As the incident spread online, Franco was also attributed additional remarks, including a claim that his experiences with Jews "were not pleasant."