A Cornell University engineering student, Patrick Dai, has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Jews on campus. His lawyer revealed that Dai had recently been diagnosed with autism and posted the threats online in an attempt to reveal the atrocities of Hamas. Despite knowingly making the threats, Dai’s motivation was to garner sympathy for Jewish people and make others think twice about supporting Hamas. His actions were prompted by comments made by a Cornell professor praising a Hamas attack, which led Dai to have a breakdown.
Dai, who had not yet been diagnosed with autism, was going through a difficult time and struggling with depression when he made the threats. After realizing that his plan had backfired, Dai posted an apology and expressed regret for his actions. His lawyer mentioned that Dai feels terrible for putting shame on his family and has learned a valuable lesson from the experience. Dai has been behind bars since his arrest in October and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12 for posting threats to kill or injure someone using interstate communication.
The federal prosecutors are seeking a guideline sentence of 15 to 21 months for Dai, treating his actions as a hate crime. However, his lawyer plans to fight this, arguing that Dai’s intent was not malicious. She hopes to reduce the sentence to 10 to 16 months and will request time served as Dai will have been in jail for around 10 months by the time of his sentencing. Dai, a native of Pittsford, New York, posted a series of disturbing messages online, including calls to destroy the “genocidal fascist zionist regime” and threats to shoot up a school dining hall and harm Jewish men on campus.
Dai’s threats came amidst a wave of antisemitic graffiti appearing at the Cornell University campus. Following the incident, Dai’s mother expressed concern about his mental health, suggesting that an anti-depressant he had taken may have exacerbated the situation. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division condemned Dai’s actions, stating that he will be held accountable for the antisemitic threats made against the Jewish community at Cornell University. Clarke emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment for students to pursue their educational opportunities without fear of violence or discrimination.
