The key facts
- Jane Doe filed a claim of rape at a Chi Phi fraternity party in October 2024; all seven accused deny wrongdoing, no charges have been brought
- The university disputes the account of Kotlikoff's words, citing documented first-hand testimony from a witness
- The Cornell faculty senate will vote on a no-confidence resolution against the president on October 28
Jane Doe's letter to the faculty
A former Cornell University student, speaking anonymously as Jane Doe, sent a two-page letter to the faculty senate on October 14. She claims that after her rape allegation she received 'second-hand' information about President Michael Kotlikoff's reaction: his initial response was 'something like: Why did she wait so long to report it?'. Doe filed her claim last month, alleging that in October 2024 she was raped by several men at a Chi Phi fraternity party. She reported the incident to university police on November 8 — about three weeks after the party. According to her, Kotlikoff discussed it with the then president of her sorority, and at least one staff member present 'looked stunned' by his question. 'This undermined my confidence in the administration's ability to approach my experience with the understanding, sensitivity and fairness that I had hoped for and expected from a school that had been my dream,' Doe wrote. She said she was writing so that faculty members 'could make an informed choice' before the vote.
The university's response
The university confirmed receipt of the letter from Doe's attorney, but told the BBC that her account was 'inaccurate'. According to a Cornell spokesperson, the retelling of the question Kotlikoff asked in January 2025 is 'inaccurate, as documented by first-hand testimony from a witness'. The spokesperson said Kotlikoff's question about the delay in reporting 'was directed at witnesses who did not use Cornell's anonymous reporting line despite ongoing social media activity about the October 2024 incident', and that 'he did not question Jane Doe's report'.
Case background
All seven former fraternity members accused by Doe denied any wrongdoing in a conversation with CBS — the BBC's US partner. None of them has been charged. The county prosecutor at one point declined to bring a case, but it was later reopened. In response to Doe's initial report, Cornell announced an internal investigation as well as a civil rights investigation.
No-confidence vote and faculty position
Kotlikoff, who has led the university in Ithaca for 26 years, answered questions from the faculty senate on Wednesday. According to meeting records obtained by the BBC, faculty members said they were 'deeply concerned' by his handling of the case and criticized him for a lack of 'emotional response'. Kotlikoff noted measures introduced after Doe's reports, including a ban on fraternity parties, and said: 'We are all extremely distressed by the events at Cornell in October 2024.' The faculty senate — a body of professors and other academic staff — scheduled a vote for October 28 on a resolution of no confidence in Kotlikoff's leadership. At the meeting, faculty described sexual misconduct on campus as a systemic problem requiring 'systemic attention'. Labor history professor Paul Ortiz, who introduced the resolution, said students had told faculty they 'feel unsafe walking to the library after dark', and accused Cornell of treating rape 'more as a PR problem than as a monstrous crime'.
Image source, Reuters Cornell's faculty debated the university's handling of sexual assault cases during a faculty senate meeting on Wednesday
