Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff has spoken out about allegations that a female student was gang raped by multiple fraternity members in 2024.
“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,” Kotlikoff, 74, said in a video statement on Saturday, October 3. “My heart aches when I think of what she experienced.”
The Cornell official acknowledged that the case “raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.”
“It also raises questions around the investigation conducted after the allegations were reported,” he added.
A former Cornell student — referred to as Jane Doe — filed a lawsuit in September over events that allegedly took place at the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024. Per Doe, she claimed she visited the frat house alone after a night of drinking and was pressured to snort ketamine, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol.
Doe alleged that the incident started with two fraternity brothers, though more allegedly took part in raping her over several hours after a message on the frat’s Snapchat group chat advertised that there was “free p****.”
Two of the seven Chi Phi members allegedly implicated in the attack were expelled while others were given far less severe punishments, like writing essays or taking part in workshops. No criminal charges were filed when Doe went to police with her story weeks later. (Doe eventually dropped out of Cornell University.)
In Saturday’s speech, Kotlikoff stressed that Cornell administrators do not “have all the answers” right now, though he pledged his support for “investigating and finding the answers.”
“You have my commitment that this will not be a moment that passes. We will continue taking every step necessary to make Cornell an institution that leads not just in what we say about these issues, but in the work we do to address them,” he vowed.
Kotlikoff confirmed that Cornell has initiated an “independent review by an outside law firm” to determine the facts of the school’s original response to Doe’s accusations. He also supported New York Governor Kathy Hochul‘s appointment of the state’s attorney general, Letitia James, as a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the case.
“We will not wait for the investigation or the review to be completed before we act,” Kotlikoff promised. “Where we see opportunities to strengthen prevention and education, student support, mental health and substance use resources, investigative processes or coordination among our university offices, we will act. The review should inform additional changes, not delay improvements already underway or ones we know we can make today.”
Kotlikoff suggested that changes may need to be made to Greek life at Cornell to foster “individual accountability, transparency, and a culture in which every member understands their responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of others.”
Earlier on Saturday, Doe’s attorney Thomas Giuffra gave NBC News a sobering update on how his client was coping with the increased spotlight on the case.
“[Jane Doe is] not well,” he said. “This has upended her life in such a tragic way.”
Giuffra described the circumstances surrounding Doe’s departure from Cornell University as the disillusionment of a lifelong dream.
“She comes from a small town. Her dream, from when she was a little girl, was to go to the Cornell [Nolan] Hotel School — this was her desire,” he noted. “She worked very hard — she came from an area where people were not going to Ivy League schools. This was an area where people went local or they didn’t go to school at all. And this was her dream — she went there, she was betrayed by two friends. She went to withdraw, she couldn’t withdraw without costing her parents a lot of money. She had to stay there, and then ultimately she couldn’t take it anymore — and her mother was up there constantly — and she had to leave.”
Doe’s attorney confirmed that she has undergone “extensive mental health treatment” since the alleged abuse took place and has placed her education “on hold.”
“She’s hanging on by a string,” Giuffra said. “The one positive, I will say, is the amount of support she’s seen from members of the public has been really helpful and has really helped her through this process, and frankly it’s made me see how good human beings can be.”
Attorneys for multiple frat members allegedly involved in the incident have denied any wrongdoing on their behalf.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
