Cornell University's president, Michael Kotlikoff, has described the alleged 2024 gang rape of a student at a fraternity house as "deeply disturbing," pledging greater transparency amid mounting outrage over how the school handled the case.
"My heart aches when I think of what she experienced," Kotlikoff said in an eight-minute video message to the Cornell community on Saturday.
He characterised the past week as one of the most difficult in the university's history and said the case would weigh on the institution for years to come. "It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanisation and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use," he said.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges she was sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. She has since sued the university and seven former students.
Scrutiny over Cornell's handling of the case intensified after New York Governor Kathy Hochul said newly released information had undermined her confidence in the local prosecutor, who initially declined to bring charges.
Hochul subsequently appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to take over the criminal investigation, saying she would "not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug."
The case has also renewed scrutiny of what critics call the "voluntary intoxication loophole" in New York law, which makes it difficult to prosecute sexual assaults involving victims who voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs, even if they later became too intoxicated to consent.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten had cited that legal provision in defending his original decision not to pursue charges. Hochul has pledged to push for changes to the law.
At a student assembly hearing on Thursday, several speakers called for Kotlikoff's resignation.
In Saturday's video, Kotlikoff reaffirmed his support for an independent review of the university's handling of the case and said Cornell's Board of Trustees would announce details the following week. He also called for a "serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life."
James has described the matter as "an active criminal investigation."
