# 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.
- Title: Cornell Jane Doe drops case against misidentified fraternity…
- Summary: Cornell Jane Doe drops lawsuit against man she misidentified as fraternity president during alleged gang rape, releases letter criticizing university…
- Keywords: cornell university, jane doe, chi phi fraternity, michael kotlikoff, alleged gang rape, university president, lawsuit, misidentification, news, entertainment, Cornell, Jane
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16224309/cornell-jane-doe-drops-misidentified-chi-phi-president-lawsuit.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-10-20T16:34:38+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: cornell university, jane doe, chi phi fraternity, michael kotlikoff, alleged gang rape, university president, lawsuit, misidentification, news, entertainment
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.