Office of the President

Cornell President Hunter Rawlings issues update on campus stabbing incident

February 22, 2006

Dear Members of the Cornell Community:

I am writing to provide you new information about the stabbing incident that occurred last weekend and to invite you to an informal discussion with me and other concerned members of the Cornell community.

The university has learned that Nathan Poffenbarger, the Cornell student charged in Saturday's stabbing incident, has posted bail today (Feb. 22) and has been released from the county jail, pending further judicial proceedings. As a result, the preliminary hearing scheduled for today in the Ithaca City Court has been cancelled at the request of the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office.

The Cornell University Police has issued a directive that bars Mr. Poffenbarger from the campus. Although the university cannot comment specifically on any campus judicial proceedings involving Mr. Poffenbarger, because of federal privacy laws, in serious cases such as this, involving acts of violence and a weapon, a student would receive an automatic temporary suspension pending a review by a campus judicial board. The student would then be referred to the campus judicial process, which could result in expulsion.

The District Attorney has assured us that she is pursuing the case aggressively and, with the university's full assistance, support and cooperation, is working on further charges to bring before the Grand Jury.

I also want to make it clear that the university is committed to pursuing this case through to its just conclusion. And we will fully support and assist the District Attorney's Office in its investigation and prosecution of this disturbing crime.

Let me take this opportunity to invite concerned members of the community to meet with me on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall to discuss our responses and concerns.

Hunter Rawlings,
President, Cornell University