Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff admitted Saturday that the school “must do better” after mishandling a case involving seven former fraternity brothers accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old undergraduate.
“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come. My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said in a video statement to the Cornell community.
The case, centered on an October 2024 night at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, has exposed how Cornell investigated and responded to a rape allegation on its own campus. Kotlikoff acknowledged the episode raises hard questions about campus party culture, alcohol and drug abuse, and how the university’s own investigation was conducted.
“I want to acknowledge something that can be difficult for an institution to say we don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves. I believe we as an administration, and we as a community must do better,” Kotlikoff said.
He said Cornell welcomes an independent review by an outside law firm into how it handled the case, and backs Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to hand the criminal investigation to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Cornell, he said, will not wait for those reviews to wrap up before overhauling prevention and education, student support, mental health and substance abuse resources, and its investigative processes.
“We will act,” Kotlikoff said.
The Allegations
Jane Doe alleges in a lawsuit that seven former Chi Phi fraternity brothers drugged and sexually assaulted her during the October 2024 incident. She was a 20-year-old Cornell undergraduate at the time. The men have denied wrongdoing — some say the sexual activity was consensual, others deny they were involved at all. No criminal charges have been filed against any of the seven.
Doe filed a 101-page lawsuit last month naming Cornell and other entities alongside the former fraternity members.
A Reopened Investigation
Scrutiny of the case intensified after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten revealed his office never received the full transcript of Doe’s November 2024 interview with Cornell University Police before prosecutors initially declined to bring charges. Van Houten reopened the investigation, and Hochul then appointed the Attorney General’s office as special prosecutor. James confirmed Friday that her office is conducting an “active criminal investigation.”
Kotlikoff also acknowledged Cornell’s own communication about the case had fallen short and promised more candor going forward. “There are real legal and privacy limits on what we can say, but we will make a greater effort to explain what we can to provide context about the actions Cornell has taken and to be more transparent,” he said.
Kotlikoff added that Cornell will reexamine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus and back efforts to change New York’s sexual assault laws.
“You have my commitment that this will not be a moment that passes,” Kotlikoff said.
