A lawyer named Austin Franco has publicly disassociated himself and his law firm from a 19-year-old Cornell University student who shares his name, following the student's widely publicized anti-Semitic comments. The lawyer has been receiving a significant volume of angry messages across his social media platforms and law firm email, mistakenly directed at him due to the student's viral remarks. This incident underscores the challenges of mistaken identity in the digital age, particularly when controversial statements gain widespread online traction.
The Cornell undergraduate, also named Austin Franco, garnered over ten million views across various platforms after making anti-Semitic comments to a prospective employer, New York City startup VryfID. According to reports, the student rejected an internship interview with VryfID, co-founded by brothers Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, stating he was "Not interested in working for a Jew." The student later defended his comments on social media, claiming negative experiences with Jewish individuals.
Cornell University has launched an investigation into the incident, condemning antisemitism and all forms of hatred. A university spokesperson confirmed that the student's comments violated the terms of service for the Handshake job platform and Cornell Career Services. The university has since stated that the student was suspended and is no longer enrolled, following the investigation into his "deeply disturbing" remarks.
The lawyer, Austin Franco, expressed his distress over the situation, stating, "My social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and law firm email address are being blown up by people understandably angry at this other Austin Franco." He noted that major publications, including the NY Post and Fox News, have covered the story with the student's image, further contributing to the confusion. The lawyer added that the undergraduate "looks just enough like me to be confusing."
To mitigate the ongoing confusion and protect his professional reputation, the lawyer issued a public statement. He emphasized, "The bad Austin Franco is continuing to make these statements to media and on social media, so we wanted to go on the record disassociating me and the law firm from him." The lawyer hopes his public clarification will help "alleviate some confusion for the general public" regarding the two individuals.
