Kotlikoff announced on 13 October that parties at fraternity houses are banned through the end of the academic year, and New York State Police will take a role in investigating sexual assault reports.
Kotlikoff told The New York Times he learned in 2024 of a student's report of an alleged gang rape at the Chi Phi house but never checked what happened to her or to the accused students.
On 14 October the Faculty Senate debated a resolution backed by more than 100 faculty members, with a second debate planned for 28 October followed by a vote.
Governor Kathy Hochul removed District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from the case, named Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor and ordered an independent review of Cornell's handling of the allegations.
On Tuesday, 13 October, Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff announced a ban on fraternity parties through the end of the academic year. Experienced sexual assault investigators will be added to work with the university police, and New York State Police will now be involved in investigating sexual assault reports on campus. Houses that break the new rule will be suspended immediately, according to the university's communiqué. Kotlikoff said the pause would allow a thorough review of fraternity life, where a third of undergraduates take part in Greek organizations. In an interview with The New York Times, he said parties had grown more central to student life after the pandemic, when many bars and venues in Ithaca closed and did not reopen.
In the same Times interview, Kotlikoff acknowledged that he learned in 2024 of a student's report of an alleged gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house, but he never followed up. He said he did not learn until recently that the woman had left Cornell or that students had been expelled or suspended over the incident. In a November 2024 message to the community, he had called the allegations involving drug use and sexual violence "deeply disturbing" and said criminal and university investigations were under way. He later convened a presidential task force on how Cornell handles sexual assault, yet said he never checked the outcomes of the criminal or Title IX investigations. On Tuesday he apologized, saying the plaintiff's experience at Cornell is something he is personally sorry for.
The former undergraduate, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit in September against seven men, Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity and her own sorority. The suit alleges the men sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and describes an assault lasting nearly seven hours while she was intoxicated. The men have denied wrongdoing. The fraternity says it acted quickly to oust them, and Cornell expelled two of the men and banned the chapter from campus. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten first declined to pursue charges after reviewing a Cornell University Police summary, but later said that summary omitted key details and reopened the investigation after the lawsuit was filed. Governor Kathy Hochul then removed him from the case, named Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor and ordered an independent review of how Cornell handled the allegations.
On Wednesday, 14 October, the Faculty Senate debated a proposed resolution declaring no confidence in the central administration's ability to handle the campus sexual assault crisis. Kotlikoff first took questions from more than 100 faculty, students and staff at Rockefeller Hall and defended his decisions. Explaining why parties were halted, he said Cornell cannot be fully confident that what goes on in fraternity houses is safe.
“And so for the time being, we will stop that activity and put in place a thorough examination”
Two professors who attended, as reported by AP, described a tense meeting in which Kotlikoff appeared defensive and tried to control the narrative, and he left before the formal debate began. The resolution does not call for his resignation or specific policy changes, and the Senate is advisory without power to remove a president. More than 100 faculty members have voiced support, and passage requires a majority. Another debate is planned for 28 October, to be followed by a vote.
Cornell's response follows a path that schools under pressure often take, adding rules, hiring outside investigators and sometimes changing leadership. Texas A&M faced a crisis when a stack of bonfire logs collapsed and killed 12 people, Penn State dealt with child sex abuse allegations against a football coach, and Ohio State faced abuse claims against a former team doctor. Cornell's first statement, issued three days after the student newspaper reported the lawsuit in September, said the allegations had been handled consistent with university policies and offered few details. Evan Nierman, founder and chief executive of the crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, said colleges tend to botch their responses by moving too slowly.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarSafety · Ithaca
Cornell's president admitted he never followed up on a 2024 report of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house, as faculty senators debated a no-confidence resolution on Wednesday.
AI text based on reports by The New York Times, EL PAÍS, LaSexta and other publishers. Changed .