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Cornell Jane Doe drops case against misidentified fraternity president
Cornell Jane Doe drops lawsuit against man she misidentified as fraternity president during alleged gang rape, releases letter criticizing university president.
In brief
Cornell Jane Doe drops lawsuit against man she misidentified as fraternity president during alleged gang rape, releases letter criticizing university president. Cornell University's Jane Doe dropped a lawsuit against a man she misidentified as Chi Phi fraternity president at the time of alleged gang rape in October…
Jane Doe drops lawsuit
Cornell University's Jane Doe dropped her case against a man she misidentified as the president of the Chi Phi fraternity at the time she was allegedly gang raped.
Misidentified fraternity president
Doe initially named Orazio Petito in her civil lawsuit, but he was not accused of sexual assault.
Petito's lawyer explains
Petito's lawyer says the case was dismissed because he was not serving as president of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi at the time of the alleged assault.
Doe releases letter
Doe has released a letter blasting university President Michael Kotlikoff for his response to the alleged assault.
Kotlikoff's alleged response
Doe claims Kotlikoff asked why she waited so long to report the assault after she reported it to university officials.
Doe's disappointment
Doe expressed disappointment in Kotlikoff's administration after a conversation with the president of her sorority.
Kotlikoff's meeting
Kotlikoff faced angry faculty members at a meeting that underscored frustration over his administration's handling of Doe's alleged rape.
Kotlikoff's defense
Kotlikoff acknowledged some missteps but defended his leadership while asking for more time to implement reforms.
Doe's lawsuit
Doe filed a lawsuit alleging seven Chi Phi brothers sexually assaulted or exploited her on October 19, 2024.
Alleged assault details
Doe claimed the men manipulated her into ingesting ketamine and alcohol while she was 'completely incapacitated'.
Reported to police
Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell police in November 2024, three weeks after it occurred.
Campus police investigation
Campus police investigated and sent findings to the district attorney, who declined to prosecute within weeks of the report.
University actions
Cornell suspended all parties and social events at fraternity houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
New York Attorney General
New York Attorney General Letitia James is now leading the investigation into the case.
Kotlikoff's stance
Kotlikoff argued replacing a president isn't the right way to address the situation and would harm Cornell's reputation.
What happens next
Cornell University faces ongoing scrutiny over its handling of the alleged gang rape case and leadership response.
The short version
Cornell University's Jane Doe dropped a lawsuit against a man she misidentified as Chi Phi fraternity president at the time of alleged gang rape in October 2024, and released a letter criticizing university president Michael Kotlikoff for his response to the assault.
