Cornell students accuse university president of hitting them with car after campus Israel-Palestinian event

"These individuals followed me from the event space and across campus, while loudly shouting questions and recording on their phones. After answering a few questions, I let them know that I was not planning to engage further, and asked them to stop recording," Kotlikoff said. 

"Their response to this was, ‘No, we are not going to stop,’" he claimed. "They continued to follow me to my car and then surrounded the car, banging on the windows, blocking the car, and shouting. I waited until I saw space behind the car and then, using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, was able to slowly maneuver my car from the parking space and exit the parking lot."

However, Aiden Vallecillo, a member of Students for a Democratic Cornell (SDC), free speech on campus," Vallecillo reportedly said. 

Video released by the university shows Kotlikoff’s black Cadillac backing out of a parking lot as the group appeared to be standing behind his vehicle.

"As we were still trying to talk to him, he just immediately started reversing into us," Vallecillo told the outlet.  

The group reportedly alleges Kolitkoff backed into one student and ran over Vallecillo’s foot before driving away.

According to Kotlikoff, the group surrounded his vehicle, "banging on the windows, blocking the car, and shouting."

"I waited until I saw space behind the car and then, using my car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, was able to slowly maneuver my car from the parking space and exit the parking lot," Kotlikoff added.

Sophia Arnold, the student group’s president, told WSYR she witnessed the alleged incident and was upset by Kotlikoff’s alleged escalation. 

"I don’t even have the words for it. I was pretty shocked and offended," Arnold said. "A random pedestrian pulling out of a supermarket parking lot would probably have shown more care."

Arnold also reportedly disputed Kotlikoff’s version of events. 

"Contrary to the university statement, we really weren’t intending to block President Kotlikoff in his car," Arnold told WSYR, adding, "He hadn’t signaled or honked, or even rolled down the window and said, ‘get out of my way.’"

Details regarding whether the incident had been reported to campus police remained unclear as of Monday. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Cornell University and the Students for a Democratic Cornell for comment.