Cornell president ‘personally sorry’ for ignoring gang rape report

14 Oct 2026 • 10:01 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Cornell president ‘personally sorry’ for ignoring gang rape report

  • Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff admitted he failed to follow up on a 2024 student gang-rape report involving the Chi Phi fraternity until a civil lawsuit was filed last month.
  • The case has sparked widespread campus protests and calls for Kotlikoff's resignation, though he stated he has no plans to step down.
  • Kotlikoff did not try to learn whether any of the accused men were punished, and didn’t know that the alleged victim had dropped out of Cornell until she filed a lawsuit under the name Jane Doe last month, he toldThe New York Times this week. “The fact that Jane Doe experienced what she experienced at Cornell is something that I am personally sorry for,” Kotlikoff said. “And I think this entire campus is sorry that occurred.”
  • Following public outcry, Cornell announced a ban on fraternity parties for the rest of the year and plans to add sexual assault investigators to campus police.
  • The criminal investigation into the alleged assault was reopened and reassigned to New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. Cornell appointed former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of how the university handles sexual assault allegations.

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