Cornell president promises reforms after alleged gang rape

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff on Saturday promised reforms at his school in the wake of allegations of a gang rape that put the university in the national spotlight .

“I believe we, as an administration, and we as a community, must do better. We must do everything we can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe and everyone before her and anyone after her from ever happening again. As a community, we must foster a culture in which sexual assault is inexcusable, and ensure our community is empowered and understands informed consent, body autonomy, and prevention,” Kotlikoff said in a Saturday a video statement.

On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) stopped short of pushing for resignations from Kotlikoff and the local prosecutor who dealt with allegations of a gang rape at the school two years ago, but the governor referred to Cornell’s handling of the incident as a “failure.”

When asked about calls for the officials to leave their roles, the New York governor said, “I don’t have enough information at this time.” Hochul made the comment while standing next to New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), whom she appointed a special prosecutor in the case.

During a press conference on Friday, Hochul slammed Cornell police for their work on the investigation into a 20-year-old woman’s allegations that she was gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity after being given alcohol and drugs.

Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, is set to appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning.

The woman’s allegations have sparked national conversations about how higher education institutions should handle sexual assault in their communities, as well as the risk of sexual assault that women face.

“We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe. And understanding that sexual violence exists within our society and our community, as leaders, we must create an environment in which people who experience sexual assault feel safe coming forward and are treated with compassion and dignity,” Kotlikoff said in his statement.