A woman identified as Jane Doe, who is suing Cornell University and several individuals over an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in 2024, sent a letter to the university’s faculty senate expressing that she felt unsupported by the administration. The letter, addressed to faculty leaders earlier this month, said Doe’s confidence in the university was shaken by what she described as remarks from Cornell’s president, Michael Kotlikoff, that seemed to cast doubt on her account.
According to the letter, Doe cited a secondhand report of a conversation between Kotlikoff and a sorority leader shortly after Doe reported the incident. The sorority member relayed that Kotlikoff questioned why Doe had waited to report the assault, a comment Doe interpreted as skepticism about her story. Doe wrote that the exchange left her feeling “unsupported and disbelieved,” undermining her trust in the administration’s ability to handle her case with the sensitivity and fairness she expected.
The letter has emerged as the Cornell faculty senate prepares to debate a possible vote of no confidence in the university’s administration next week, prompted by criticism over its handling of the case. Some faculty members have expressed hesitation about voting before two external investigations into the matter are complete, while others advocate for a swift response to convey the urgency of the situation.
Cornell faculty dean Chris Schaffer responded to the letter by clarifying details of the president’s remarks. Schaffer said he received a message from Doe’s legal counsel shortly before a recent faculty senate meeting, followed by an account from a university official indicating that Kotlikoff had asked why the assault had taken so long to be reported via Cornell’s anonymous tip line, citing social media discussions surrounding the events. Schaffer emphasized that the question was not directed at Doe herself or her decision to report, but rather at bystanders who had not come forward.
The university also disputed Doe’s characterization of Kotlikoff’s comments. Rebecca Valli, a university spokeswoman, stated that the account in Doe’s letter was inaccurate based on firsthand information. She explained that the question posed by Kotlikoff in January 2025 was directed at individuals who failed to use the anonymous tip line amid ongoing online discussion, not at Doe’s reporting.
Doe’s lawsuit, filed in 2026, alleges that she was given drugs and alcohol at the Chi Phi fraternity house and raped while unable to consent. The suit claims that at 1:42 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2024, one of the men involved sent a Snapchat message inviting others to participate in the assault. Doe reported the incident to campus police in November 2024.
In response to the allegations, Cornell took disciplinary action by expelling or suspending some of the men involved and permanently closing the Chi Phi chapter on campus. However, no criminal charges have been filed. The local prosecutor declined to pursue charges, prompting New York Governor Kathy Hochul to designate State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to conduct a separate investigation following the lawsuit’s national attention.
Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said the letter was provided to the faculty senate’s leadership to ensure the senate had full context regarding Doe’s account of Kotlikoff’s remarks as it considers the upcoming vote. The university’s handling of the case and the broader issues it raises about sexual assault and campus accountability continue to be the subject of intense scrutiny.