Nathan Poffenbarger, a suspended sophomore in Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations who stabbed a visiting Union College student on West Campus early this year, pleaded guilty to assault as a hate crime Nov. 22 in Tompkins County Court. Poffenbarger, 21, of Woodsboro, Md., also pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2007. Under the plea agreement, his maximum sentence would be four years in state prison.

Poffenbarger was originally indicted on one count of first-degree assault as a hate crime, three counts of second-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of tampering with physical evidence for stabbing Charles Holiday, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 18. According to the indictments, Poffenbarger first taunted Holiday with racial slurs before the stabbing. Holiday has since recovered from a chest wound and a punctured lung.

Following the stabbing, Poffenbarger burned a blood-stained fragment of clothing, prompting the tampering with physical evidence charge. He turned himself in to Cornell Police later that day.

Poffenbarger will remain suspended from Cornell until court proceedings are concluded, following which there will be a hearing as part of the campus judicial system.

"We believe this disturbing incident has been addressed properly by the court, and we are pleased that justice will be served in this matter," said Tommy Bruce, Cornell vice president for university communications.