Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said Saturday that allegations of a 2024 gang rape raised “heartbreaking and troubling” issues and pledged to hire an outside law firm to review all aspects of Cornell’s handling of the matter.
Kotlikoff, in a video message, acknowledged anger and sadness among students, faculty and parents and said it was crucial to foster a culture where sexual assault is inexcusable. He also said he backed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) decision to appoint a special prosecutor to lead a reopened criminal investigation.
A Cornell student, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe,” has filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted and raped by seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024.
Hochul has criticized a county district attorney’s office and Cornell University police for their handling of the allegations.
“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,” Kotlikoff said.
“It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use,” he added.
He said the university was “committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves.”
The allegations in the lawsuit sparked outrage at the district attorney and the Ivy League university, and renewed attention to the problem of sexual assault on college campuses.
Doe reported what had happened to campus police on Nov. 8, 2024, according to the complaint.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to pursue criminal charges at the time. Van Houten has defended that decision, saying there was “insufficient evidence” to pursue charges when his office reviewed the case in 2024.
The Xi chapter of Chi Phi and seven students were placed on temporary suspension on Nov. 8, 2024, the day Doe went to campus police, according to Doe’s civil complaint. The fraternity chapter was closed and remains barred from campus.
The university said in a statement this week that it conducted a thorough Title IX investigation over several months and issued a range of sanctions, including suspensions and expulsions.
Kotlikoff said in his video message that the university must do everything it can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe from happening to another student.
“This is a defining moment in Cornell’s history,” he said. “We must lead the way. We owe it to Jane Doe and to survivors of assault to get this right, and we must keep each other safe.”
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