Editor's note: This article references sexual assault.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff addressed national scrutiny over Cornell’s handling of the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape in an eight-minute video released to the Cornell community Saturday afternoon.
The statement comes after a former Cornell student filed a Sept. 14 lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. This case and details about the University’s investigation have since sparked national outrage and heightened media attention on campus.
Kotlikoff stated that “this has been one of the most difficult weeks” in the University’s history, amid nationwide frustration and questions raised about the University’s handling of the allegations in 2024.
The University has faced backlash for a claim made in the lawsuit that defendants were allowed to “mitigate their conduct” with essays. Cornell has since denied that essays were the “sole consequence” for any defendants and confirmed that expulsions and suspensions were issued.
He also expressed his support for an independent review of the case by an outside law firm, which he said the Board of Trustees will announce next week, as well as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-N.Y.) decision to appoint New York State Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for the criminal investigation.
The University does not plan to wait for the conclusion of the investigation or review to act, Kotlikoff noted.
“We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves,” Kotlikoff said. “I believe we as an administration and we as a community must do better.”
Kotlikoff outlined several steps the University must take, including fostering an environment where sexual assault victims “feel safe coming forward,” creating systems that “are trauma-informed” and investigating allegations “rigorously and fairly” while providing survivors the resources they need.
“The review should inform additional changes, not delay improvements already underway or ones we know we can make today,” Kotlikoff said. “I believe the change starts with us, the Cornell community.”
The University plans to examine Greek life’s role on campus and advocate for reform to New York’s sexual assault laws, Kotlikoff added.
Cornell’s “broader work” in addressing Greek Life on campus, Kotlikoff said, would include input from students, alumni and other members of the Cornell community on how to preserve the “valuable” portions of Greek Life while developing a culture that emphasizes safety and accountability.
Kotlikoff also said the University will “lend [its] full support” to change New York State’s sexual assault laws.
He also pointed to actions already taken since the alleged assault, explaining that Cornell created the Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault in 2025, which released its final recommendations to the University in March 2026. Kotlikoff called on the task force to “find new ways to do more,” through community engagement and “hard conversations” about Cornell’s campus culture.
Addressing the “frustration” surrounding the University’s communication after the assault was reported, Kotlikoff nodded to the limitations Cornell faces.
“There are real legal and privacy limits on what we can say, but we will make a greater effort to explain what we can, to provide context about the actions Cornell has taken and to be more transparent,” Kotlikoff said.
This video message is the start of what Kotlikoff hopes will be an “ongoing, constructive and dynamic conversation” with the Cornell community. He added that there will be opportunities for students and parents to voice their concerns to Cornell leadership in the coming weeks.
In addition to other forums, Kotlikoff cited Cornell’s upcoming inaugural Volunteer Summit as an opportunity for the greater Cornell community to engage with University leadership.
“You have my commitment that this will not be a moment that passes,” Kotlikoff said. “We will continue taking every step necessary to make Cornell an institution that leads not just in what we say about these issues, but in the work that we do to address them.”
Kotlikoff ended the video by emphasizing that this is a “defining moment” in the University’s history.
“We must lead the way,” Kotlikoff said. “We owe it to Jane Doe and to survivors of assault to get this right and we must keep each other safe.”
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a senior editor for the 144th Editorial Board. She was a features editor and an assistant sports editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
