Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff has addressed mounting criticism over the university's handling of allegations that a student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024, calling the case "deeply disturbing" and "a defining moment" in Cornell's history.
In an eight-minute video statement released Oct. 3, Kotlikoff acknowledged that Cornell does not have all the answers about how the case was handled and said the university must "do better."
"What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come," Kotlikoff said.
He said Cornell's Board of Trustees will announce next week which outside law firm will conduct an independent review of the university's handling of the case.
What Cornell's president said
Kotlikoff said the allegations involving Jane Doe raise "heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use."
He said Cornell supports Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to have state Attorney General Letitia James oversee the criminal investigation into the allegations.
Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor on Oct. 1, giving the attorney general's office authority to investigate the allegations and, if warranted, prosecute offenses and present evidence to a grand jury. Cornell will cooperate with both the investigation and the university's independent review, Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff also backed efforts to change New York's sexual assault laws. The law has faced criticism because voluntary intoxication does not automatically establish that a person was legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity.
Hochul has vowed to help change the law, saying, "Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape. Period," CNN reported.
Kotlikoff also acknowledged criticism of Cornell's public communications about the case. He said the university would work to better explain its actions, provide additional context and be more transparent within legal and policy limits.
What the lawsuit alleges
The lawsuit, filed in New York County Supreme Court in September 2026, alleges a 20-year-old Cornell student visited the Chi Phi fraternity house on Oct. 19, 2024.
According to the complaint, she was intoxicated and was pressured into taking what she believed was ketamine before being sexually assaulted. The lawsuit alleges fraternity members discussed her condition in group messages and encouraged others to go to an upstairs room where she was incapacitated.
The woman is suing seven men, Cornell University, local and national Chi Phi organizations, local and national Tri Delta organizations and an Ithaca bar, Moonies Bar and Nightclub.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court, and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the case.
Criminal investigation reopened
The lawsuit prompted Tompkins County prosecutors to revisit the case. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said information contained in the civil complaint differed from what prosecutors reviewed in 2024.
Van Houten said prosecutors would prepare evidence for presentation to a grand jury. He also defended the earlier decision not to file charges, saying the evidence available at the time did not support prosecution.
On Oct. 1, Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor.
Hochul said newly released information had raised "serious questions" about the investigation conducted by Cornell police and the earlier decision not to prosecute.
"As special prosecutor, the Attorney General will investigate this incident and, if warranted, prosecute any offenses arising from that investigation and present evidence to a grand jury," Hochul said.
What Cornell's Title IX records revealed
Some of the information that became public after the lawsuit was filed came from materials prepared during Cornell's Title IX proceedings.
The records, which were obtained by several media outlets, including The New York Times, NBC News and CBS News, reportedly total more than 1,000 pages. They include an hourslong interview Jane Doe gave to Cornell police nearly a month after the alleged assault.
During the interview, she told investigators she was raped and said she was "completely and totally incapacitated."
Interviews with six of the seven men named in the lawsuit included varying accounts of the encounter. According to The New York Times, some denied participating in sexual activity, while others said the activity was consensual and, in some instances, initiated by Jane Doe.
The records also document that Jane Doe photographed injuries she said she sustained and sought medical treatment at Cornell Health.
According to a New York Times report, Cornell police provided prosecutors with a six-page summary of Jane Doe's account. The Times reported that the summary did not include her statement during a longer police interview that she had been raped.
Cornell and Chi Phi respond
Cornell has supported a renewed review of the case while pointing to the university's Title IX process and disciplinary proceedings.
According to Cornell, the accused students were temporarily suspended during university proceedings. Following a hearing process, sanctions included suspensions and expulsions. Cornell has not publicly identified the specific sanctions imposed on individual students, citing federal privacy laws.
Cornell closed the Chi Phi chapter in 2024, and it remains barred from campus.
Chi Phi's national organization said members of the Cornell chapter voted to remove the accused students from membership three days after the woman reported the alleged assault to Cornell police. The national fraternity said it later permanently expelled those members.
"It should not need to be said, but we will say it plainly: Chi Phi condemns sexual assault and drug and alcohol abuse in the strongest possible terms," interim Executive Director Trey Robb said in a statement.
Contributing: USA Today Network, New York Connect Team, Reuters
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Cornell president speaks out on sexual assault case: What he said
