Cornell University students are petitioning to punish a classmate for allegedly breaking school coronavirus protocols, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Nearly 3,000 students have called for Cornell to rescind well-known TikTok user Jessica Zhang’s acceptance saying she broke the university’s COVID policies (Related: Baylor Says Students Who Don’t Follow COVID-19 Rules Could Face Expulsion, Other Punishments)
“Recently, Jessica Zhang (among other careless freshman underclassmen) hosted and attended parties in Collegetown. While Cornell’s MANDATORY [sic] COVID-19 educational training and common sense should be enough to deter people from partying during a national pandemic, it simply isn’t enough to stop many reckless Cornell students,” the petition states.
Cornell’s current policies allow groups of less than 30 to gather, but require that they wear masks and practice social distancing, according to the website. The policy extends to students both on and off campus.
“The people who you wouldn’t expect to snitch will snitch,” Cornell freshman Milan Broughton, said, according to the WaPo.
“It’s kind of the culture that we need to have around. You need to hold everyone accountable,” Broughton continued, according to the WaPo. Broughton said she reported Zhang and also signed the petition.
Zhang said that she was with 12 people who did not test positive for the virus in a TikTok video to her more than 500,000 followers. The video has since been made private. (Related: North Carolina State Says Many Students Will Have To Leave Campus Following Spike In Cases)
“So to the parents and students that are using me as a scapegoat, threatening me, harassing me and petitioning to get me expelled, please check your facts next time before you attempt to ruin another teenager’s life because the next kid may not have the platform that I have to defend themselves,” Zhang said in the video.
Cornell’s Senior Director of Media Relations and News John Carberry told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “While we are not able to speak to individual cases, we will note that a number of students who have violated the behavioral compact have been held accountable.”
Jessica Zhang and Vice President for Student & Campus Life Ryan Lombardi did not immediately respond to the DCNF.
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