Cornell Jane Doe says embattled university head doubted her gang-rape allegation

A former Cornell student who alleges she was gang-raped at a fraternity house has said she felt "unsupported and disbelieved" by the university president.

Known anonymously as Jane Doe, she has written a letter accusing President Michael Kotlikoff of asking why she waited several weeks to report the incident.

The Ivy League institution in upstate New York says her account of the Cornell head's reaction is "incorrect".

She addressed her letter to campus faculty who will hold a rare vote this month on Kotlikoff's leadership. Doe filed her lawsuit last month alleging she was raped by several men in October 2024 at a Chi Phi fraternity party.

All seven former fraternity members accused by Doe have denied wrongdoing when contacted by the BBC's US partner CBS. None has been charged with a crime.

Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police, and the local prosecutor declined to bring charges at the time, but the case has since reopened.

Responding to Doe's initial allegation, Cornell said it had opened an internal investigation, as well as a civil rights inquiry.

Source: BBC News World RSS (Open Press / Translated Full Text)