Cornell president speaks out on gang rape allegations: 'Deeply disturbing'

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff posted a video statement on the university's website, pledging greater transparency and accountability

Cornell University in New York state. [Yonhap]

Cornell University's president has spoken publicly for the first time about the 2024 gang rape allegations on campus that have prompted a new investigation.

In a roughly eight-minute video posted to the university's website Saturday (local time), President Michael Kotlikoff said "what happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come," pledging follow-up action, according to The New York Times and AFP.

"I know that many of you are angry, grieving and in pain," Kotlikoff said, adding that the university — which has faced criticism over how it handled the case — would become more transparent going forward.

The alleged victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month claiming she was sexually assaulted by seven male students at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024.

About a month after the incident, she reported to Cornell's campus police, saying she was "100 percent certain I was raped," but that statement was reportedly omitted from the written account forwarded to prosecutors.

None of the accused students faced criminal charges. Within the university, only two were expelled; the rest received suspensions or were required to write essays. The victim reportedly left the university after the assault.

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff delivers a statement. [Cornell University website]

The revelations sparked outrage across the United States. On Wednesday, Cornell announced it would conduct an independent investigation through an outside law firm.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to reopen the case.

In the video, Kotlikoff said he supported both the independent review and the special prosecutor's investigation, vowing to act immediately rather than wait for either to conclude. He said the university would strengthen its efforts to prevent sexual assault on campus, support student victims, and expand mental health and substance abuse services.

Kotlikoff also said the role of student clubs on campus "deserves serious examination." While acknowledging that such organizations provide a sense of community and belonging, he added that "membership in a group can never diminish individual responsibility."

The Cornell Daily Sun, the university's student newspaper, which ran an editorial headlined "If Cornell Won't, We Will." The paper's recent coverage of the 2024 gang rape allegations drew national attention. [Cornell Daily Sun website]

Kotlikoff said he would work with students, alumni and community members to find ways to preserve the valuable aspects of student club life while strengthening accountability. The Chi Phi fraternity, at the center of the allegations, has been banned from campus since 2024.

Kotlikoff called the episode "a pivotal moment in Cornell's history" and said the university did not have all the answers the community was seeking but would do its best to find solutions. His remarks drew a largely critical response from members of the university community, however, who noted the absence of a direct apology.

The case came to national attention after the Cornell Daily Sun, the university's student newspaper, reported last month that Cornell and the Chi Phi fraternity had been sued over the October 2024 gang sexual assault. The paper published the names of the seven accused students on its front page; one of them is a Korean student with the surname Lee.

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