[UPDATE] Cornell president backs state probe; campus police made Chi Phi drug arrest 22 hours before alleged assault
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff now backs James's criminal probe and the outside review. He spoke in an 8-minute video. He called Jane Doe's allegations 'deeply disturbing.' He said the school 'must do better.' Campus police records show officers made a drug arrest at the Chi Phi house. That arrest came 22 hours before the alleged assault.
PREVIOUSLY
On Oct. 1, Cornell agreed to an outside review of how it handled a student's lawsuit. She accuses 7 Chi Phi brothers of gang-raping her on Oct. 19, 2024. The Tompkins County DA reopened the case. He said he never saw her rape claim. By Oct. 3, Kathy Hochul (Gov-D New York) had named Attorney General Letitia James special prosecutor. Hochul said the local DA never interviewed the accuser.
Kotlikoff called for a serious look at Greek life: 'Being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility' (BBC). DA Van Houten relied only on Doe's 6-page initial police statement (NYT).