A former Cornell University student from suburban Rochester, New York has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for posting threats of violence against Jewish people on campus last fall. The student, identified as Patrick Dai, was accused of making anonymous threats to shoot and stab Jewish individuals on a Greek life forum during a period of heightened tensions related to the war in Gaza. These threats caused alarm among Jewish students at the upstate New York campus.
In April, Dai pleaded guilty to posting threats to kill or injure others using interstate communications. The federal court sentenced him to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The judge, Brenda Sannes, acknowledged Dai's diagnosis of autism, mental health challenges, and non-violent history while also noting that his actions substantially disrupted campus activities and constituted a hate crime.
