Cornell University president says school must do better after rape allegations

Cornell University’s president says the school “must do better” after a woman alleged she was drugged and raped by a group of men at a fraternity house.

In an eight-minute video statement released on Saturday night, Michael Kotlikoff described the allegations raised by the woman, identified as Jane Doe, as “deeply disturbing”.

The alleged incident has raised questions around the culture on campus of drug and alcohol use, and the way investigations were conducted in the case, Kotlikoff said.

Jane Doe was a 20-year-old student at the university when she says seven men from its Chi Phi fraternity assaulted her for hours in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine on 19 October 2024.

She said she had reported the incident two weeks after it happened to Cornell University police, which investigated, but no charges were laid.

Last month, Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against the Ivy League university, in which she alleged Cornell had failed to protect her or adequately punish the men involved.

Kotlikoff said Cornell was “committed to investigating” the way the case was handled, and said the school administration and community “must do better”.

“We must foster a culture in which sexual assault is inexcusable and ensure our community is empowered and understands informed consent,” he said.

He added that university leaders need to create an environment where victims of sexual assault “feel safe coming forward and are treated with compassion and dignity”.

Kotlikoff said it is a “defining moment” in the university’s history.

“We must lead the way, we owe it to Jane Doe and to survivors of assault to get this right. And we must keep each other safe,” he said.

On the university’s campus this week, the BBC saw growing frustration about the situation.