A woman who alleges that several Cornell students raped her at a fraternity party says university President Michael Kotlikoff questioned why she waited to report the alleged assault. She said the remark left her feeling “unsupported and disbelieved.”
The account of Kotlikoff’s alleged comment, which was relayed to the woman by another person and is disputed by Cornell, comes as faculty members prepare for a possible no-confidence vote on the Ivy League university’s leadership. The Associated Press obtained a letter she sent to faculty leaders last week. Her attorney confirmed that the letter is authentic.
The former student’s allegations, outlined in a lawsuit filed last month under the pseudonym Jane Doe, have fueled campus protests and intensified scrutiny of Cornell’s disciplinary system. They also prompted authorities to reopen a criminal investigation into the alleged October 2024 assault.
“The letter was sent for informational purposes only,” Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said. “Jane Doe thought it important that the Faculty Senate have this information as it deliberates and considers the resolutions or motions before it. Jane Doe would ask the Faculty Senate to give her letter whatever weight or credibility it deems appropriate.”
Dispute over president’s remarks
In the letter, Jane Doe said her sorority president told her that Kotlikoff had asked why she waited until the following month to report the alleged assault. The sorority leader spoke with Kotlikoff in November 2024 and understood the question as casting doubt on Jane Doe’s account.
“President Kotlikoff’s initial response was along the lines of, ‘Why did she wait so long to report it?’” Jane Doe wrote. She said the exchange diminished her confidence that the university administration could respond with the sensitivity and fairness she expected.
Cornell’s dean of faculty, however, provided a different version of the conversation. In an email to faculty senators on Tuesday, verified by the AP, Professor Chris Schaffer said another official who attended the meeting recalled Kotlikoff asking why bystanders had not reported the alleged assault sooner through the university’s anonymous tip line. The official said the allegations were already circulating on social media at the time.
Schaffer said he delayed sharing Jane Doe’s letter with faculty senators while he sought an additional account of the conversation. He said he then forwarded the letter to Cornell’s lawyers, who provided it to an independent team investigating the university’s response.
At a meeting last week, Schaffer said he opposed the proposed no-confidence resolution because it did not identify specific failures or remedies, while acknowledging the anger among faculty members. “The anger in our community is justified and I share it.”
Kotlikoff did not respond Tuesday to an email seeking comment on Jane Doe’s letter. A university spokesperson also rejected her account of the exchange, saying the president had been asking about the actions of bystanders, not Jane Doe’s decision to report.
Faculty debate no-confidence resolution
Jane Doe’s letter was sent to the Faculty Senate through her attorneys and was first reported by The New York Times. It comes as Cornell faculty members weigh a resolution expressing no confidence in the administration’s ability to address what some professors have called an “ongoing crisis” involving sexual assault on campus.
Faculty members began debating the resolution at a meeting last Wednesday, during which Kotlikoff faced pointed questions about Cornell’s handling of sexual assault allegations and its oversight of fraternities. The Faculty Senate is expected to continue the debate on Oct. 28 before conducting an electronic vote.
Jane Doe said she wanted faculty members to receive information that could be relevant to their deliberations. She stressed that she was not seeking to direct how they should vote.
“My intention is not to prescribe how the Senate should interpret this account, but rather to provide information that its members may wish to consider or investigate further,” she wrote.
Noah Tamarkin, an anthropology professor and co-sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, said Tuesday that he was still reviewing Jane Doe’s letter. He added that the account strengthened his view that Cornell needs fundamental changes to restore trust.
“I continue to feel that the current administration hasn’t yet shown the capacity to do this,” Tamarkin wrote in a text message.
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Tamarkin said Jane Doe’s description of the conversation stood out to him, particularly her account of how it affected her and the apparent absence of a clear process for her to be heard or supported.
“We need leadership that understands how much that matters,” Tamarkin wrote.
Also Tuesday, Sally Yates, the former Justice Department official overseeing Cornell’s independent investigation, sent a letter to the university community describing the review as broad in scope.
Yates said the investigation will include a detailed examination of Cornell’s response to Jane Doe’s allegations. Her team will also review the university’s policies and practices for preventing and disciplining sexual harassment and assault, the roles of campus police and other law enforcement agencies, supervision of fraternities and sororities, and oversight by university leaders, including the board of trustees.
“We understand that some may be skeptical of our independence — I assure you that our independence is not a formality,†Yates wrote. The university, she said, has pledged complete autonomy and the resources “an independent review of this significance needs and deserves.â€
“We will follow the facts wherever they lead with unwavering candor and principled judgment so that this community — and the public — can have confidence in the integrity of our findings,†Yates, the former deputy attorney general, added.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).