Cornell University is examining its fraternities and sororities after allegations of gang rape prompted concerns about accountability for sexual assault on college campuses. The university’s President Michael Kotlikoff said on Saturday in a video message to the university community that the school would take “a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life” among other steps aimed at creating a safer campus environment. The plaintiff, anonymized as “Jane Doe,” alleged she was sexually assaulted and pressured to take drugs and alcohol on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, and that the university failed to protect her and mishandled its response.
The lawsuit names seven current and former students as defendants, all of whom have denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit has triggered renewed criticism of the handling of the allegations by the university and local authorities, who declined to pursue criminal charges at the time. On Thursday, New York Gov.
Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, appointed the state’s Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor of the case, citing a loss of confidence in the local prosecutor’s ability to oversee it. New York lawmakers also said they were reviewing the state’s legal definition of consent while voluntarily intoxicated. Read More: The System That Failed Cornell’s Jane Doe Kotlikoff was not among the administrators present at a university town hall on Thursday, where students, faculty, and alumni called for stronger action against campus sexual assault.
The public meeting was led by the university’s student government. Some students shared their own stories of sexual harassment and assault. In a statement last week, Cornell defended its initial handling of the allegations and said it complied with university policies and Title IX.
The university banned the Chi Phi fraternity from campus and launched a Title IX investigation in 2025, which resulted in a range of disciplinary measures for the seven members implicated. Giuffra said there have also been multiple attempts to doxx Doe, which has resulted in at least three other women being mistakenly identified as her. Yale (1977), told TIME last week that the backlash against Doe could deter sexual assault survivors from coming forward to make a report.
That backlash has also prompted an outpouring of solidarity, with thousands of people posting #IamJaneDoe on social media. The posts are an effort to counter attempts to doxx Doe, but they have also become a way for survivors to share their own experiences of sexual assault. The lawsuit has brought scrutiny to the university’s Title IX process, especially over its claim that some of the alleged perpetrators were “afforded the opportunity to mitigate” their disciplinary sentences by writing essays.
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