INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 135, No. 79
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019
n
16 Pages – Free
ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
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Employee Assembly
Andrea Gibson
Women's Lacrosse
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A group of Cornell staff called for major housing and well-being improvements in the weekly assembly meeting. | Page 3
The poet is returning to town tomorrow night. See what else is happening in the Ithaca arts scene this weekend. | Page 9
The Red poised for an Ivy playoffs run after nearly upsetting No. 5 Syracuse. | Page 16
HIGH: 66º LOW: 49º
Committee Disqualifies Student Trustee Candidate, Sparking Outrage
Supportive email from sports official cited as reason for decision By DYLAN McDEVITT & RAPHY GENDLER & MEREDITH LIU Sun Senior Writer & Sun Sports Editor & Sun Assistant Managing Editor
JT Baker ’21, a football player who ran for student-elected trustee, was disqualified because of an email a Cornell Athletics official sent alerting athletes to Baker’s campaign and encouraging them to vote in the election, according to the emails and two people familiar with the decision. “If anyone deserved to win, it was JT,” said sophomore linebacker Erik Andreasson. “He put in maximum effort to his campaign, sacrificing time he could have spent on school and football, got more than enough votes, and has nothing to show for it because they took it from him. The Trustee Nominating Committee announced Tuesday that it had disqualified Baker, ruling unanimously that the email violated election rules by implying that players’ support of Baker’s candidacy was a condition of their affiliation with Cornell Athletics. The committee also determined the email “altered the fairness of the election.” Its decision drew rebuke from both Cornell President Martha E.h Pollack and Board
‘They took it from him’: football players livid over teammate’s D.Q.
of Trustees Chair Robert spread the word!” she conThe disqualification on By DYLAN McDEVITT & Harrison ’76, who said they tinued. Tuesday was followed by RAPHY GENDLER Sun Senior Writer & Sun Sports disagreed with but would Rogers and Cornell statements from Cornell Editor honor the ruling. Athletics declined to comPresident Martha E. Pollack The email, which was ment. and Board of Trustees Chair Members of the Cornell Robert Harrison ’76 sayobtained by The Sun on The nominating comfootball team denounced ing they disagree with the Wednesday and verified by mittee also disqualified a committee committee’s member, highdisqualifilighted Baker’s cation of candidacy but Baker from did not explicthe race, but that they itly endorse would abide the cornerback by its ruling. for trustee. It’s “If anyunclear how many athletes one deserved received the to win, it email. was JT,” “I am consaid sophotacting you to more linelet you know backer Erik that JT Baker, a Andreasson. member of the “He put in football team, maximum is running effort to his for Student campaign, E l e c t e d sacrificing Trustee,” time he C a r m e n could have Rogers, assisspent on school and tant director football, got of athletics for more than student serBORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR enough vices, wrote votes, and to athletes on Out of the running | JT Baker ’21, a football player, was unanimously disqualified by the has nothing March 18, a elections committee due to an email that allegedly implied the support of Cornell athletics. to show for week before the disqualification of cor- it because they took it from voting began. “He would Baker for not notifying the nerback JT Baker ’21 from him.” be the first ever student ath- committee of the potential the race for student-electDue to the use of a lete in this critical leader- violation in a timely maned trustee on Tuesday and ranked-choice voting sysship position. ner. Members voted 6 to Wednesday. Baker was dis- tem, it is unclear if Baker “This election for the 1, with one abstaining, that qualified for an email sent would have won the elecStudent-Elected Trustee this altered the fairness of by a Cornell Athletics offi- tion had he not been disposition is incredibly the election. cial to athletes and coaches qualified. Jaewon Sim ’21 important and we encourduring the campaign. was announced as the winage you all to vote, please See DISQUALIFIED page 4
Rocket man
ner on Tuesday. Cornell football players agreed with Pollack and Harrison that the committee shouldn’t have disqualified Baker. But some student athletes called on Cornell’s top two officials to go further and reinstate him. Baker did not respond to a phone call requesting comment on Wednesday evening. Soon after Baker’s disqualification, dozens of football players and other student-athletes took to social media to support Baker. Many posts decried the choices of both the committee and Pollack, and some said race may have been a motivation for the perceived injustice against Baker, who is black. “It’s clear that the repeated efforts to silence [Baker’s] Voice is an example of an unready, corrupt inner circle at this school. The Voices of Undergraduate black men and student-athletes have been silenced far too long here at Cornell,” cornerback Jake Watkins ’19 wrote on Twitter. Some accused the committee of another form of discrimination, alleging that the committee and the administration have a vested interest against a student-athlete holding a position of such influence. Athletics officials had told See REACTIONS page 15
Ithaca’s Top Cop to Retire After 28 Years By AMANDA H. CRONIN Sun News Editor
DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
North Korea tested a new guided weapon last week, putting the breaks on the United States’ increasingly warm relationship with the reclusive nation.
After 28 years of service, Ithaca Police Chief Pete Tyler will retire from his post on May 31 after spending just two years as the City’s top cop. Tyler served two of his 28 years on the police force as chief, replacing Chief John Barber upon Barber’s retirement in 2017. The IthacaCayuga chapter of the Kiwanis Club — an international service club
— presented Tyler with department’s top post. an award commending A native Ithacan, him for his dedication to Tyler made headlines in protecting the Ithaca area 2017 when he became on Monday. the first black police chief Watching in Ithaca’s Tyler’s “leadhistory. One ership after the of his main retirement of missions as Chief Barber chief, he told through several The Ithaca high profile and Voice, was challenging incito “work to dents,” Mayor serve the PETE TYLER Svante Myrick public and ’09 became “convinced would prioritize training he is the right person for officers to use non-lethal the job,” he said before defensive tactics to deesTyler was elevated to the calate dangerous situa-
tions.” Tyler also entered the position aiming to tackle the opioid epidemic that has hit much of upstate New York particularly hard in recent years. Tompkins County registered nearly 20 overdose deaths in 2018 — up from just 8 in 2013, according to a government report. “Heroin is a huge problem in our city,” Tyler previously told The Sun. “That’s not going See POLICE page 4