His name is Momodou Taal and he claims he is now facing deportation after Cornell grad school suspended him for the second time in as many semesters. The story starts last April when Taal was one of four students suspended for organizing a pro-Palestinian protest on campus.

Today at 3:08 p.m., the University notified the four students about their suspensions in an email obtained by The Sun signed by Christina Liang, director of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Three of the suspended students are Bianca Waked grad, Momodou Taal grad and Nick Wilson ’26, confirmed in interviews with The Sun. The fourth suspended student declined to share their identity with The Sun. Taal and Waked are international students, meaning suspensions threaten their legal status in the country.

Students are being charged with unauthorized use of University property by engaging in or facilitating outdoor camping on the Arts Quad without approval, failure to comply with University directives to remove the unauthorized encampment, unreasonably loud chants and behavior, failure to disperse from the Arts Quad and staying past 8 p.m. on April 25 — the initial deadline to leave given by administrators.

In case that wasn't completely clear, Taal knew the protest he was organizing violated campus rules and refused to remove it even when given a deadline to do so. Also, Taal knew last April that his status as an international student was in danger if he were suspended. In short, he chose this outcome with full awareness of what could happen.

Despite all that, he was back on campus this semester. But last week he joined another protest which disrupted a planned career fair taking place at a hotel located on the Cornell campus.

The Coalition for Mutual Liberation organized a walk-out for Palestine at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Day Hall. 

Once protesters arrived, organizers announced they would march into the career fair held at The Statler Hotel, which featured representatives of Boeing and L3Harris, two of the manufacturing companies listed in the S.A. referendum as “supporting the ongoing war in Gaza.”...

Protesters presented the Boeing recruitment table with a letter titled “People’s Court Indictment of War Crimes and Genocide,” as well as a list of the Gaza death count for children under the age of one.

The letter delivered to Boeing “charged” the company with “the crimes of aiding and abetting human rights violations, war crimes and genocide” under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the U.S. War Crimes Act and the Genocide Convention Implementation Act.

Here's some video of the "people's court" in action. I'm sure it's just a coincidence they look and sound like a circus.

As is usually the case when an incident like this made news, the administration was quick to pronounce it unacceptable and to threaten consequences.

This afternoon, members of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation disrupted a Career Fair in the Statler Hotel. Cornell Police officers were pushed and shoved. Guests of the university felt threatened. And students were denied their ability to experience the Career Fair. This behavior is unacceptable, a violation of university policy, and illegal.

Cornell Police are working to identify those who violated our policies, and students will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for immediate action including suspension. Faculty and staff will be referred to Human Resources. These individuals will also be subject to potential criminal charges.

And in this case there may actually be consequences for at least one student. Momodou Taal was suspended for a second and what appears to be the last time. Once again, notice that he was warned in advance not to participate.

The suspension comes after Taal and other Cornell students shut down a career fair in Statler Hall last Wednesday attended by defense contractors L3Harris and Boeing. In the email to Taal, which The Sun obtained, Christina Liang, who directs the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, said that Taal had been reported to the University by Cornell University Police Department Lieutenant Scott Grantz ’99 for not complying with orders from University officials at last week’s protest.

According to Grantz’s complaint, Taal entered the career fair alongside other protesters after being warned not to by University officials and participated in “unreasonably loud” chants.

In the email, Liang wrote that Taal’s behavior demonstrated “escalating, egregious behavior and a disregard for the University policies” and called Taal to a same-day noon meeting at Day Hall. At the meeting, Taal was handed a physical copy of a no-trespass order barring him from entering campus. 

Taal is now acting shocked that he could be deported back to the UK.

There is targeted campaign of intimidation and harassment against me from Cornell’s administration and police. I have been suspended again. I had no chance to dispute the charges, nor see the evidence or appeal. They informed me that I am effectively being deported by the weekend

— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) September 23, 2024

The university is subverting their own processes. They will claim it’s not a deportation but effectively it is. pic.twitter.com/rigsWHlygO

— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) September 24, 2024

He is now circulating a letter demanding his own reinstatement. Here's a bit of it:

We write with outrage over the recent temporary suspension of graduate worker Momodou Taal, on the grounds of his alleged participation in a recent Pro-Palestine and anti-genocide campus protest. This is the first time a Cornell graduate worker is facing immediate deportation without administrative due process or the ability to review evidence of their alleged misconduct. Unless we stand up to the university, it is entirely plausible that at any moment, Momodou will have less than a 48 hours notice to book a flight, pack up all of his belongings, and get out of the country...

In May 2024, over 15 units and 350 faculty from across the Humanities, Social Sciences, and STEM signed a statement protesting the suspensions of six student organizers involved with the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. We understood then as we understand now that the Cornell administration is unfairly targeting perceived student protest leaders and singling them out in order to make an example of them. The excessive punitive measures represent an escalating repression of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Once again, we call for an end to administrative overreach and institutional repression and retaliation. 

Whatever happened to all the leftists who believed in "consequences culture?" They seem to have all evaporated. In this case, Taal was warned repeatedly not to engage in violations of school policy and he did so anyway. Clearly he was hoping he could just continue to get away with it but Cornell has had enough.

Also, to be really clear about this, Taal's speech isn't just ugly, he literally supported Hamas on 10/7 and applauded their murder of civilians. He wants a bloody revolution against "illegitimate" Israel and that's what his organizing at Cornell is designed to encourage.

“We take our cue from the armed resistance in Palestine”

Enjoy taking your cue back home.

pic.twitter.com/pSQZsKHpsw

— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 24, 2024

Will Cornell stick to its guns or will the collective shrieking of anti-Semitic extremists get them to reverse course? We should know more in a few days.