Cornell accuser tells faculty senate she felt 'disbelieved' by president; school disputes
In short
A former Cornell University student known as Jane Doe, who accused seven men of sexual assault in a lawsuit, wrote to the faculty senate that she felt "unsupported" and "disbelieved" by President Michael Kotlikoff. She cited a second-hand account of a remark he allegedly made; Cornell says the account is incorrect and the question was aimed at bystanders.
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A former Cornell University student known as Jane Doe wrote in a letter to the faculty senate that she felt "unsupported" and "disbelieved" by the school's president, Michael Kotlikoff. She is the former student who accused seven men of sexual assault in a lawsuit. The letter was dated Oct. 14, 2026, two weeks before the faculty senate is scheduled to begin its vote, and came as the senate considers a rare vote of no confidence in Kotlikoff's administration. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]
In the letter, Doe described what she called a second-hand account of a meeting between Kotlikoff and the then-president of her sorority, Tri Delta. She wrote that the sorority president told her Kotlikoff's initial response was along the lines of "Why did she wait so long to report it?" and interpreted the question as an expression of doubt in the veracity of her story. Doe wrote that it "diminished my confidence in the administration's ability to approach my experience with the understanding, sensitivity, and fairness I had hoped for and expected from what had been my dream school." She stopped short of telling the senate how to vote. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]
Cornell disputed her account in a statement. A spokesperson said Kotlikoff made a similar comment at a January 2025 meeting, but that the second-hand account was incorrect, "based on a documented first-hand account." The university said the question was directed at bystanders who did not use Cornell's anonymous tip line despite ongoing social media activity about the incident in October 2024. "He was not questioning Jane Doe's reporting," it said. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]
The alleged assault occurred on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024. Doe went to campus police about three weeks later, on Nov. 8. CBS News said the alleged assault took place at the Chi Phi fraternity house. In a civil lawsuit filed last month, NBC News reported, Doe accused seven members of the now-dismantled Chi Phi fraternity of plying her with drugs and sexually assaulting her. Orazio Petito was dropped from the suit after his lawyer said he was "mistakenly" identified as the chapter president. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]
NBC News reported that earlier this month Cornell hired former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of the school's response to Doe's allegations and of its broader policies on sexual misconduct. The New York Times said the letter was authenticated by her lawyer. NBC News and CBS News also said they obtained it. The Boston Globe and Seattle Times describe it as two pages, while CBS News calls it a one-page letter. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]
Why it matters
The letter comes as the faculty senate considers a rare vote of no confidence in Kotlikoff's administration. Cornell has also hired an independent reviewer to examine its response to her allegations, according to NBC News.
Key facts
- Jane Doe, a former Cornell student, wrote a two-page letter to the faculty senate dated Oct. 14, 2026, saying she felt "unsupported" and "disbelieved" by President Michael Kotlikoff. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- She described a second-hand account: the then-president of her sorority, Tri Delta, told her Kotlikoff's initial response was along the lines of "Why did she wait so long to report it?" [ 4 , 5 , 8 ]
- A Cornell spokesperson said the second-hand account is incorrect and that the question, asked at a January 2025 meeting, was directed at bystanders who did not use the anonymous tip line. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]
- The faculty senate is considering a vote of no confidence in Kotlikoff's administration and is scheduled to begin voting two weeks after the date of the letter. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The alleged assault took place on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024; she went to campus police on Nov. 8. [ 2 , 3 , 8 ]
- Cornell hired former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates earlier this month to lead an independent review of its response to Doe's allegations and its sexual misconduct policies. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Jane Doe wrote to the Cornell faculty senate that she felt "unsupported" and "disbelieved" by Kotlikoff. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]
- Cornell disputed her account in a statement, saying the question was directed at bystanders and that Kotlikoff "was not questioning Jane Doe's reporting." [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]
- Doe accused seven men of sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police on Nov. 8, 2024. [ 2 , 3 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- What Kotlikoff meant by the question about why the assault took so long to be reported. Doe's letter relays a second-hand account that the sorority president read as doubt about her story; Cornell says the question was aimed at bystanders and that the account is incorrect.
- How long the letter is. The Boston Globe and Seattle Times describe a two-page letter; CBS News describes a one-page letter.
- How the faculty senate will vote. Doe did not tell the senate how to vote, and the documents give no outcome.