A former Cornell University student, identified as Jane Doe, has written a letter to the faculty senate accusing President Michael Kotlikoff of responding skeptically to her allegation of gang rape. In the correspondence dated October 14, Doe stated that Kotlikoff questioned why she waited several weeks before reporting the alleged assault to campus authorities.
Doe reported the incident to campus police on November 8, approximately three weeks after the fraternity party where she alleges she was raped by multiple men in October 2024. The alleged assault occurred at a Chi Phi fraternity event. According to Doe’s account, she received a second-hand report of Kotlikoff’s reaction during a conversation he had with her sorority’s then-president, with other staff members present. She said his apparent skepticism about the reporting delay undermined her confidence in the university’s ability to handle her case with appropriate sensitivity and fairness.
Cornell University has disputed Doe’s characterization of events. A university spokesperson stated that Doe’s second-hand account of Kotlikoff’s remarks is inaccurate and that the question about reporting delays was actually directed at bystanders who did not use the university’s anonymous tip line rather than at Doe herself. The university confirmed it has opened both an internal investigation and a civil rights inquiry into the allegations. None of the seven former fraternity members accused by Doe have been charged with a crime, though all have denied wrongdoing when contacted.
Doe’s letter comes ahead of a rare faculty senate vote scheduled for October 28 on whether to express no-confidence in Kotlikoff’s leadership. During a faculty meeting held earlier in the week, attendees expressed deep concern about the university president’s handling of the case and said he lacked an appropriate emotional response to the situation. Faculty members characterized sexual misconduct at Cornell as a systemic problem requiring comprehensive institutional attention.
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