Cornell professor Russell Rickford referred to the October 7 attacks on Israel as exhilirating. Subsequently, nearly 5000 members of the Cornell University community demanded that Rickford be fired. A petition to fire him gathered thousands of signatures. Rickford has taken a leave of absence. Cornell is committed to protecting academic freedom. The Faculty Statement on Academic Freedom and Responsibility states:

Academic Freedom for the Faculty means: Freedom of expression in the classroom on matters relevant to the subject and the purpose of the course and of choice of methods in classroom teaching; from direction and restraint in scholarship, research, and creative expression and in the discussion and publication of the results thereof; to speak and write as a citizen without institutional censorship or discipline. . .

Academic freedom is valued very highly at Cornell, and the University Faculty defends it tenaciously; nevertheless, the same University Faculty is disinclined to see the concept abused. Academic freedom does not imply immunity from prosecution for illegal acts of wrongdoing, nor does it provide license for faculty members to do whatever they choose.

In recent years, there has been significant controversy around free speech and academic freedom in the Ivy League, especially around the free speech of centrist and right-leaning professors. Amy Wax has come under fire for remarks that some people have perceived as racist, and the dean of Penn law has started a faculty review process that could lead to sanctions against her. Joshua Katz was fired by Princeton for a consensual relationship he had with a student in the mid-2000s, though many suspect the true cause is an article he wrote in Quillette.