ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff is promising greater transparency and an independent review of the university’s response to allegations that a former student was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members in 2024, as renewed scrutiny of the case reaches the highest levels of New York state government.
Kotlikoff addressed the controversy in a video message released Saturday, calling what allegedly happened to the woman — identified in court filings as Jane Doe — “deeply disturbing” and acknowledging questions about how Cornell responded after she reported the incident.
“We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves,” Kotlikoff said.
The comments represent one of Cornell’s strongest public responses since a civil lawsuit filed in September brought renewed national attention to the case.
The allegations
Jane Doe, a former Cornell student who was 20 at the time, alleges she was drugged and repeatedly raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity at its Ithaca fraternity house in October 2024.
Her lawsuit names Cornell University, the fraternity, seven former students and other defendants.
According to reporting on the lawsuit and university investigative records, Doe initially engaged in sexual activity with men she knew at the fraternity house. She alleges that as the night progressed she became severely intoxicated and was given ketamine, leaving her unable to provide consent as additional men became involved.
Some attorneys representing the accused men have denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell University Police several weeks later and was also interviewed as part of the university’s disciplinary process.
The case did not initially result in criminal charges.
Questions over the original investigation
The handling of Doe’s police report has become a central issue in the growing controversy.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to pursue criminal charges after reviewing information supplied by Cornell police. But Van Houten has since said his office did not receive key material from Doe’s police interviews, including statements in which she explicitly said she believed she had been raped.
After the civil lawsuit revealed information he said his office had not previously seen, Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation.
The dispute has raised questions not only about the decision by prosecutors but also about what information Cornell University Police provided to the district attorney.
Cornell previously said its police department conducted an investigation and provided information to prosecutors. The university has also said its internal disciplinary process resulted in sanctions against students involved in the case, including expulsions.
No criminal court has determined that the alleged assaults occurred, and the renewed investigation remains ongoing.
Hochul hands case to state attorney general
The controversy escalated when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul intervened, saying she had lost confidence in the handling of the original investigation.
Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, effectively shifting responsibility for the criminal investigation away from the local district attorney.
James has indicated that the investigation will be thorough and could take months.
The governor has also called for changes to New York sexual assault law, particularly provisions governing a person’s ability to consent while intoxicated.
Under existing New York law, prosecutors can face significant hurdles in cases in which a person becomes incapacitated after voluntarily consuming alcohol or drugs. Hochul has renewed calls to address what critics describe as a “voluntary intoxication loophole.”
Cornell promises independent review
Kotlikoff said Cornell supports the attorney general’s investigation and announced that the university’s Board of Trustees intends to retain an outside law firm to conduct an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the case.
The review is expected to examine the university’s response after the allegations were reported.
“This is a defining moment in Cornell’s history,” Kotlikoff said.
The president also said the university would examine its sexual-assault prevention programs, substance-use resources and the role fraternities and sororities play in campus life.
That last issue could have significant consequences for Cornell’s Greek system.
The alleged assault occurred at Chi Phi, and the case has intensified criticism of fraternity culture at the Ivy League university. Students, faculty members and others in the Cornell community have demanded greater accountability over the university’s handling of sexual violence.
Members of Cornell’s Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies program wrote in an open letter that they were “utterly appalled” by the university’s disciplinary response to the 2024 case.
A case bigger than Cornell
The allegations have also revived a broader national debate over how universities investigate sexual assault, how campus disciplinary systems interact with criminal investigations and whether state laws adequately protect people who are too intoxicated to consent.
The case has generated widespread attention on social media, where supporters of the plaintiff have adopted the phrase “I am Jane Doe” in solidarity with her.
Meanwhile, Doe and her attorney have reportedly received threats as attention surrounding the case has intensified.
For Cornell, the questions now extend beyond what allegedly happened inside a fraternity house two years ago.
The university faces scrutiny over what its officials knew, what investigators did with the information they collected, whether its disciplinary response was adequate and whether institutional safeguards designed to protect students worked as intended.
Kotlikoff acknowledged that rebuilding confidence will require more than a public statement.
“We must do better,” he said.
With a state investigation underway and an independent review of Cornell’s actions expected, the full accounting of what happened — and how the university responded — may still be months away.