Former Cornell Student Sentenced for Threats Against Jewish Students

Syracuse, N.Y. — Patrick Dai, a former Cornell University student, was sentenced to 21 months in prison on Monday for posting violent threats against Jewish individuals on campus. The threats, made anonymously on a Greek life forum, emerged during heightened tensions following the outbreak of the Gaza war, causing significant distress among Jewish students at the Ivy League institution. Federal officials charged Dai in October, and he later pleaded guilty to using interstate communications to threaten harm. In federal court, Judge Brenda Sannes emphasized the serious impact of Dai's actions, describing them as a hate crime that "substantially disrupted campus activity." Despite the gravity of the offense, the judge took into account Dai's autism diagnosis, mental health challenges, and previously non-violent behavior. He faced a maximum sentence of five years but received a lesser term along with three years of supervised release. Dai's mother suggested that his threats may have been influenced by medication for depression and anxiety. His public defender, Lisa Peebles, argued that Dai's intentions were misdirected, claiming he was pro-Israel and believed his posts would provoke a backlash against perceived anti-Israel sentiments on campus. At the time of the incidents, Dai was a junior at Cornell and has since been suspended from the university.