Cornell Antisemite Claims School Took No Action
July 22, 2026
If you’re engaging in antisemitism on a college campus, Accuracy in Media will deliver accountability. But, it seems, Cornell University will not.
Austin Franco, a rising junior at Cornell, went viral after responding to a prospective employer on X by declaring he was “not interested in working for a Jew.” Rather than apologizing or laying low after the backlash, Franco embraced the attention, raised tens of thousands of dollars from supporters, and doubled down on his antisemitic views.
Speaking to an undercover Accuracy in Media investigator posing as a fellow antisemite, Franco downplayed his viral comments.
“It might not have been the smartest thing to say,” Franco said. “But the reaction was like—overwhelming. Not equal to what I said.”
He even insisted he believed he was being considerate.
“I mean I thought I was being nice. Saying this is why I don’t want to work for you. Most employers are just like, ‘Sorry, we can’t hire you.’ They don’t give you a reason. At least you know, right?”
Asked whether the university had taken any action, Franco said the response amounted to little more than a notice and outreach from Cornell’s advocacy team.
“As of now they said there’s not anything going on on their back end. I think because I didn’t say anything that could be classified as hateful. There wasn’t really a leg they could go on.”
The controversy has also been profitable.
When asked about a GiveSendGo fundraiser created after his viral post, Franco confirmed he had already collected approximately $25,000.
But the undercover conversation revealed far more than Franco’s original social media post.
Franco repeatedly blamed Jews on camera for his employment struggles, claiming Jewish employers refuse to hire white applicants and alleging that merit no longer determines hiring decisions. He described his own inability to find work as evidence of what he believes is widespread ethnic favoritism, while mocking Jewish religious practices and suggesting white applicants cannot succeed unless they assimilate.
He also encouraged the undercover investigator to consume antisemitic and Holocaust-related revisionist content online, recommending material he described as “interesting” while discussing Jewish people and race.
The conversation then turned to race more broadly, where Franco promoted racial stereotypes and theories about intelligence, arguing that different races possess inherently different intellectual abilities. He compared human races to characters in a video game with fixed attributes, claiming people simply need to “accept” those differences.
Franco also revealed political ambitions.
Asked what field he hopes to enter professionally, he responded simply:
“Something in politics.”
When asked whether he intended to run for office, Franco replied:
“Maybe.”
When the undercover investigator suggested county commissioner, Franco answered:
“I don’t know, maybe something a little bigger.”
Although he rejected being labeled “hardcore MAGA,” Franco expressed disdain for both major political parties, claiming Republicans and Democrats “serve the same master.”
Perhaps most disturbing were Franco’s comments about what he believes is a growing acceptance of antisemitism among young people. He claimed younger coworkers routinely joke about Jews and argued younger generations have less to lose by expressing antisemitic beliefs openly because they have not yet accumulated wealth or careers that could be threatened by public backlash.
Rather than expressing regret for the post that made him infamous, the undercover footage shows Franco continuing to embrace antisemitic rhetoric, promote racist conspiracy theories, defend discrimination against Jews, and portray himself as part of a broader movement he believes is growing among young Americans.
Visit CheckYourHate.com to help ensure you don’t hire individuals like Austin Franco, who openly promote antisemitic hatred.