Cornell president backs review after alleged gang rape case

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said he supports an outside review of the university's response to a 2024 alleged gang rape case, The Korea Times reported.

The move follows a civil lawsuit, public criticism and a reopened criminal investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to The Korea Times.

The Korea Times reported that Kotlikoff said Cornell would welcome an independent review by an outside law firm into how the university handled the 2024 case.

"In conjunction with our board of trustees, I welcome the independent review by an outside law firm into all aspects of Cornell's handling of the 2024 matter," Michael Kotlikoff, president of Cornell University, said in a video posted on Cornell's website, according to The Korea Times.

The plaintiff alleged in a civil suit that she was drugged with ketamine, assaulted and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, The Korea Times reported. Cornell closed the fraternity and temporarily suspended students allegedly involved, with several later expelled.

Local authorities declined to prosecute in 2024, saying the complainant's testimony did not establish a lack of consent, according to The Korea Times. The criminal investigation was reopened Monday, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James to lead it.

"She sat for hours and told (police) exactly what happened to her. And according to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100 percent confident that she had been raped," Hochul said, according to The Korea Times.

Thousands of American women posted messages of support with the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe after a political commentator threatened to identify the alleged victim, The Korea Times reported.

Kotlikoff said Cornell "will not wait for the investigation or the review to be completed before we act," according to The Korea Times.