Cornell Student Rejects Job Over Employer’s Religion, Gets $20K
A Cornell student who refused a job interview because the company founders are Jewish has received nearly $20,000 through a controversial fundraising campaign.
Austin Franco, a 19-year-old student at the Ivy League institution, gained national attention after rejecting an internship interview opportunity at VryflD, a New York City startup, according to New York Post. His reason, stated bluntly in a message to the company: he had no interest in working for Jewish employers.
The startup’s co-founders, brothers Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, had reached out to Franco about a potential internship position. When they offered him a Zoom interview, Franco replied with a message stating he was not interested in working for a Jew, as New York Post reports.
The Einhorns shared a screenshot of the exchange, initially obscuring Franco’s identity, to draw attention to what they described as rising antisemitism in American society.
Supporters Rally Behind Antisemitic Student
Rather than facing universal condemnation, Franco became the beneficiary of a GiveSendGo fundraising campaign titled “Fund Austin Franco after Jewish doxxing.” By Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had collected more than $19,100 from numerous donors, four of whom contributed at least $1,000 each.
The top donation of $1,776 appears deliberately chosen to reference the year of American independence. The fundraiser page describes Franco as a victim whose career and financial prospects are threatened, calling for support for what it terms “a good Christian man.”
Victim Questions Decision to Expose Student
Gabe Einhorn told New York Post he experienced conflicting emotions about publicly sharing Franco’s message, even with the name redacted. He indicated he felt compelled to highlight the incident as evidence of growing antisemitism affecting Americans today.
The Einhorn brothers said they were shocked by the directness of the antisemitic message, describing it as unlike anything they had previously encountered personally.
Gabe initially considered the possibility that Franco might have made an error in judgment rather than expressing deeply held beliefs. That hope proved unfounded.
Franco Doubles Down on Antisemitic Views
Once identified publicly as the sender of the message, Franco, who hails originally from Virginia, defended rather than retracted his position. He claimed his experiences with Jewish people, both in person and online, have generally been unpleasant, though he acknowledged some positive encounters.
Franco was studying industrial and labor relations at Cornell, according to his LinkedIn profile, which has since been deleted. He sent the discriminatory message on Monday, approximately one month after the university’s spring semester concluded.
Cornell University has confirmed it is investigating the incident, though the institution has not announced any findings or disciplinary measures as of this writing.
With information from New York Post
