Cornell president admits he never followed up on gang rape allegation ahead of no-confidence debate

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff knew in 2024 that a student had reported being gang raped at a fraternity house, but never followed up to learn what had happened to her or whether any of the accused students had been punished.

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In an interview with The New York Times published Tuesday, a day before Cornell's Faculty Senate was set to begin debating a no-confidence resolution in his administration, Kotlikoff acknowledged that he did not know until recently that the woman had dropped out of Cornell or that students had been expelled or suspended over the incident.

Kotlikoff publicly addressed what he called  deeply disturbing  allegations involving drug use and sexual violence at the Chi Phi fraternity house in a November 2024 message to the Cornell community, saying criminal and university investigations were underway.

He subsequently convened a presidential task force to examine how Cornell handles sexual assault, but said this week that he never followed up to learn the outcomes of the criminal or Title IX investigations into the woman's allegations.

Video below: Attorney of the former student who alleges she was raped speaks to CNN

Case has drawn national attention, roiled campus

The case has drawn national attention since the woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit alleging that seven Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints.

On Tuesday, Kotlikoff announced a ban on fraternity parties through the end of the academic year and plans to give state police a role in investigating sexual assault reports.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to pursue charges after reviewing a summary prepared by Cornell University Police, but later said it omitted key details. He reopened the investigation after the lawsuit was filed. Go
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