Cornell president defends handling of alleged gang rape case

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged missteps made by himself and the university when a woman originally came forward with sexual assault allegations in 2024 but defended actions taken since and his role as president in an interview with The New York Times .

Kotlikoff said he learned about the alleged gang rape on campus in November 2024 but did not reach out to the woman, who filed a lawsuit under the pseudonym Jane Doe last month, did not learn what punishments were handed down and did not know the woman dropped out of school until the lawsuit was filed.

“The fact that Jane Doe experienced what she experienced at Cornell is something that I am personally sorry for,” Kotlikoff told the Times. “And I think this entire campus is sorry that occurred.”

“I do think it’s important to understand we have more information now than we had at that time,” he added at another point in the interview.

Jane Doe said she was gang raped by seven members of Chi Phi fraternity after they coerced her with drugs and alcohol.

The Cornell Faculty Senate is getting ready for a no-confidence vote against university administration, but Kotlikoff said he is not stepping away.

“I’ve heard enough from the community that there is a loss of trust,” he said.

The Times reported that Kotlikoff highlighted multiple times the presidential task force created to address sexual assault on campus.

“We don’t set up a presidential task force for minor issues,” he said.

The interview came hours before Cornell announced an end to all frat parties on campus for the rest of the academic year and committed to hiring sexual assault investigators for its campus police.

The campus has also reached out to high school counselors to address concerns they may have about recommending Cornell to potential students now.

“I’ve had a number of conversations with parents,” Kotlikoff told the Times. “I think this is a difficult conversation, particularly with the public that’s gotten so much different information about what actually went on and aren’t aware of these processes, and the complexity of a Title IX process.”