The president of Cornell University says the school “must do better” after a woman alleged she was drugged and raped by a group of men at a fraternity. In an eight-minute video statement released Saturday night, Michael Kotlikoff described the allegations raised by the woman, identified as Jane Doe, as “deeply disturbing.” A 20-year-old college student when she says seven men from her Chi Phi fraternity assaulted her for hours in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine on Oct. 19, 2024. She said she had reported the incident two weeks after it happened to Cornell University police, who investigated, but no charges were filed. Last month, Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against the Ivy League university, alleging that Cornell had failed to protect her and adequately punish the men involved. Kotlikoff said Cornell was “committed to investigating” the way the case was handled, and said the school administration and community “must do better.” “We must foster a culture where sexual assault is inexcusable and ensure our community is empowered and understands informed consent,” she said. She added that university leaders must create an environment where victims of sexual assault “feel safe coming forward and are treated with compassion and dignity.” Kotlikoff said it is a “defining moment” in university history. “We must lead the way, we owe it to Jane Doe and the survivors of assault to get this right. And we must keep each other safe,” he said. This week on the university campus, the BBC saw growing frustration over the situation.
