Crime · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff Pledges Transparency After Student Gang Rape Allegation
Kotlikoff pledges greater transparency over how Cornell handled the 2024 Chi Phi gang-rape case He called the alleged assault deeply disturbing and pledged investigations into Greek life
Whether details of investigation evidence are part of the story emphasis.
6 of 7 outlets skipped it: online 'I am Jane Doe' identity-protection campaign.
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Gulf News
“Records obtained by The New York Times showed that the district attorney’s office declined in November 2024”Read the original ↗
ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
“Michael Kotlikoff, president of Cornell University, calls allegations of gang rape at a fraternity house in 2024 ‘deeply disturbing’”Read the original ↗
Gulf News foregrounds evidence-handling disputes, while ABC focuses on the president’s statement.
Cornell President Responds
Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff called the alleged 2024 gang rape of a student at a fraternity house “deeply disturbing” and pledged greater transparency in an eight-minute video message to the Cornell community. Kotlikoff said, “My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” and he characterized the past week as one of the most difficult in Cornell’s history.
Kotlikoff said the case raises “heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use,” and he reaffirmed his support for an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the case. Kotlikoff also said Cornell’s Board of Trustees would announce details next week and he expressed support for New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to turn the criminal investigation over to the state attorney general.
Prosecutors and the Evidence
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to take over the criminal investigation after Hochul said newly released information had undermined her confidence in the local prosecutor. Hochul said she would “not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug,” and the case has been placed under a prosecutor whose office has repeatedly clashed with President Donald Trump.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten cited the “voluntary intoxication loophole” in defending his original decision not to pursue charges, and the case has renewed scrutiny of that state law. CNN en Español reported that prosecutors rejected additional evidence in November 2024, and it said the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office declined to review additional material beyond the six-page statement signed by Jane Doe.
Calls for Change and Review
Cornell announced it would review the role fraternities and sororities play in university life and commission an external review of their conduct after a former student filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged and raped by several members of Chi Phi in 2024. The Demócrata account said Cornell’s disciplinary investigation included at least 50 interviews of 32 witnesses and 12 days of hearings, while the local prosecutor’s office said it initially received a six-page sworn statement and a Snapchat video.
“And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.”
The Demócrata report said the controversy grew because the university investigation gathered more than 1,000 pages of material, while the prosecutor’s office said it did not receive “the full picture.” The Toronto Star said Hochul described the police investigation as a failure and quoted her saying, “And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.”