Students turn on Cornell’s president over the school’s handling of gang rape allegations

Some Cornell University students are protesting against the school's president, Michael Kotlikoff, over the university's handling of an alleged fraternity house gang rape. The protest comes just months after Kotlikoff took over as interim president in July 2024.

The incident occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, when a woman, referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, alleged she was sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi members after being pressured into drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Kotlikoff has been under scrutiny since the woman filed a lawsuit last month alleging the assault.

Campus police investigated and sent a summary of their findings to the district attorney’s office, which decided not to bring criminal charges. Cornell also conducted a Title IX investigation. The alleged assault took place two years earlier, but it was not reported until November 2024.

The protest grew after the faculty senate voted to pass a resolution of no confidence in the school's administrators. Students chanted and waved signs calling for Kotlikoff to resign or be fired and for fraternities to be banned. Kotlikoff, 75, has faced several crises during his presidency, including labor disputes, criticism over a $60 million settlement in a civil rights investigation, and accusations of trying to back into a group of demonstrators.

Experts are divided on whether it's fair to criticize Kotlikoff, given the limited options he had without criminal charges.