Cornell President Pledges Institutional Reforms Over ‘Deeply Disturbing’ Gang Rape Allegations

The president of Ivy League university Cornell pledged on Oct. 3 that the school is committed to “institutional reforms” in the wake of public outrage over the alleged gang rape of a female student on campus two years ago.

Addressing the perceived lackluster response from the university, Cornell’s president Michael Kotlikoff, during an eight-minute video address, described the past week as one of the most difficult in the university’s history and pledged to “help lead the broader effort to combat sexual assault, not only on our campus, but beyond it.”

The public outcry directed at the university after a Jane Doe made new claims about a previously reported October 2024 campus assault that did not lead to criminal charges.

Kotlikoff pledged to dedicate the school’s “extraordinary resources and expertise” to confront the factors leading to sexual violence and understanding how to mitigate them, among other things. He said the work needed to reform campus culture should “include a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life.”

He also promised more communication to dispel the “distrust” that has accumulated since the incident.

“There are real legal and privacy limits on what we can say, but we will make a greater effort to explain what we can, to provide context about the actions Cornell has taken, and to be more transparent,” he said.

The pledge was made after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened a probe into new allegations Doe made in a lawsuit filed Sept. 16.

In her lawsuit, Doe alleges that she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024, when she was a 20-year-old Cornell student and sorority member.

She alleges that seven frat members assaulted her when she was completely incapacitated after being pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana, and drinking alcohol.

Van Houten said Sept. 28 that Doe reported the assault to campus police in 2024, but “did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped” in her initial statement.

He said Doe has now reconsidered her decision not to prosecute. “Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence,” Van Houten said in an earlier statement.

Doe is seeking undisclosed damages from the seven men, the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, an Ithaca bar, and others.

“My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said. “It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization, and aspects of party culture, alcohol, and drug use.”

Cornell conducted its own internal disciplinary investigation when Doe first reported the incident, which led to the expulsion of some students and suspension of others. The Chi Phi fraternity was also banned from campus. The university had not disclosed how many students were disciplined, which drew public criticism.

Kotlikoff said Cornell also established the Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault in 2025 to make recommendations focused on prevention. He welcomed the independent review of the school’s 2024 handling of Doe’s case ordered by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“I want to acknowledge something that can be difficult for an institution to say,” Kotlikoff said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves.”

Hochul on Oct. 1 appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor on the case, turning it over from Van Houten.

The case has renewed scrutiny of a state law that makes it difficult to prosecute sexual assaults involving people who voluntarily consume alcohol or drugs, even if they became too intoxicated to consent.

Critics have long sought to remove the distinction between people incapacitated by drugs administered without their consent and those who voluntarily became intoxicated.

Hochul has pledged to push for changes to the law. Kotlikoff said Cornell would support legislative efforts to change New York’s sexual assault laws.

Aldgra Fredly and The Associated Press contributed to this article.