A former Cornell University student who filed a lawsuit accusing seven men of sexual assault has expressed feeling “unsupported” and “disbelieved” by the university president, Michael Kotlikoff. In a letter addressed to the faculty senate last week, the woman, known as Jane Doe, recounted a meeting shortly after the alleged incident in which she said Dr. Kotlikoff responded to her situation with skepticism.
The alleged assault took place at a fraternity house on October 19 and 20, 2024. Jane Doe reported the incident to campus police nearly three weeks later, on November 8. In her letter, dated October 14, 2026, and shared ahead of a no-confidence vote in Dr. Kotlikoff’s administration, she described his initial comments to her and others as reflecting disbelief, stating that he questioned why she had waited to report the assault.
Cornell officials have disputed aspects of her account. A university spokeswoman said that while Dr. Kotlikoff had made a similar inquiry during a January 2025 meeting, the comments were not directed at Jane Doe personally but rather at bystanders who had not utilized Cornell’s anonymous tip line amid ongoing social media discussions related to the alleged assault. “He was not questioning Jane Doe’s reporting,” the statement said.
In the letter, Jane Doe said the response diminished her trust in the university’s ability to handle her case with “understanding, sensitivity and fairness.” She indicated that her intent was to provide the faculty senate with what she termed a “secondhand account” relevant to their deliberations on the no-confidence vote. The vote, scheduled to begin on October 28 with debates starting October 27, would serve as a symbolic rebuke of Dr. Kotlikoff, who maintains strong backing from Cornell’s board of trustees despite calls for his resignation.
Thomas P. Giuffra, Jane Doe’s attorney, confirmed the letter was sent to Samuel Mayer Nelson, speaker of the faculty senate, and Chris B. Schaffer, dean of faculty. Dean Schaffer acknowledged receipt of the letter in an email to faculty senators but noted that the office lacked the capacity to investigate the private communication and had forwarded it to university counsel and a special investigative team led by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
Several faculty members have expressed concern about the confidentiality surrounding the letter. Ariana Kim, co-sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, criticized the delay in sharing Jane Doe’s letter more widely, suggesting it reflects an institutional desire to limit transparency.
The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed against Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, seven former fraternity brothers, and Jane Doe’s sorority, Delta Delta Delta. In the complaint, Jane Doe alleges she was drugged and gang raped over several hours at the fraternity house. The accused men deny all wrongdoing; none have been criminally charged. The university initiated a Title IX investigation following her police report.
Following the investigation, Cornell took disciplinary action against the fraternity and individuals involved, banning the fraternity from campus, expelling two accused men, and suspending two others, while issuing lighter sanctions for the remaining three.
In response to the broader controversy, Dr. Kotlikoff established a presidential task force on sexual assault in early 2025. He had stated that he was unaware of the case details following the initial report but emphasized the seriousness with which the administration views such allegations.
On October 24, Sally Yates reached out to Cornell’s community through an email, affirming the independence of her investigative team tasked with reviewing the case and the university’s response to sexual misconduct. She emphasized the commitment to a transparent process and noted that the board of trustees had guaranteed full autonomy for the review, with plans to publicly release the findings and recommendations.