Cornell’s president issued a video message Saturday on the rape scandal surrounding the Ivy League school, calling the case “deeply disturbing” and “a defining moment” in the university’s history.
President Michael Kotlikoff said he and other administrators “must do better,” as he welcomed state Attorney General Letitia James taking over a criminal probe into the allegations by a former student that she was raped by several members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.
He announced that the university’s board will retain an independent review from an outside law firm next week to investigate the school’s handling of the case.
“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,” he said in a video message released by Cornell University.
“It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use,” Kotlikoff said in the eight-minute statement.
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He noted the school established “the presidential task force on sexual assault” in 2025 to “make recommendations focused on prevention and improving the context in which sexual assaults occur.”
“I believe that change starts with us, the Cornell community,” Kotlikoff said.
The president’s statement comes amid growing campus turmoil, with all fraternity social events canceled for the weekend and student groups planning protests for Monday following public outcry over previous law enforcement and administrative inaction.
