Some faculty at Cornell University have voiced concerns over a letter attributed to Jane Doe, stating she “felt unsupported and disbelieved” by the university’s president, Michael Kotlikoff. This letter was allegedly not shared with them, leading one member to describe it as “silencing” Doe’s voice.
Doe has filed a lawsuit alleging a gang rape at a fraternity event in 2024. This has sparked controversy and initiated both a criminal investigation and an independent review of how Cornell handled the situation. The letter, dated October 14, coincided with discussions about a possible no-confidence vote against Kotlikoff in the Faculty Senate.
In the letter, Doe expressed feeling “disbelieved” by Kotlikoff and requested faculty to be aware of these sentiments. She mentioned that while she isn’t directing how they should vote, she wanted them informed before voting. Despite this, three Cornell faculty sources informed CBS News New York’s Mahsa Saeidi that they never received the letter from the university administration.
“The Faculty Senate did not receive that letter from Jane Doe,” Cornell Faculty Senate member Risa Lieberwitz stated. Without the letter, they lost a chance to question Kotlikoff directly. Lieberwitz highlighted the absence of Doe’s voice during crucial discussions.
“What we have is the silencing of Jane Doe’s voice to the Faculty Senate when we were meeting and when we had the opportunity to ask about it,” Lieberwitz said.
The university indicated that the letter was sent to general counsel for verification before sharing it with the independent review. Lieberwitz raised concerns about transparency regarding the response provided through an administrator’s spokesperson.
CBS News New York obtained the letter, detailing a conversation allegedly shared by Doe’s former sorority president. The conversation suggested Kotlikoff questioned Doe’s delay in reporting the allegations. Doe felt “unsupported and disbelieved” by Kotlikoff, according to the letter.
Doe’s attorney confirmed the letter’s authenticity to the New York Times. However, Cornell challenges the letter’s secondhand account, claiming Kotlikoff was actually questioning bystanders’ lack of earlier reporting, not Doe.
Multiple faculty members insisted the letter should have been shared with them. Lieberwitz noted the importance of receiving the letter prior to another meeting about the no-confidence vote scheduled for October 24. Kotlikoff is not expected to attend.
Associate Professor David Bateman, from the American Association of University Professors, supports the no-confidence vote. He expressed his doubts about the university administration’s willingness to change and to listen seriously to students and faculty.
Meanwhile, former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates, appointed by Cornell to review its handling of sexual assault allegations, emailed the Cornell community. CBS News New York accessed this email, in which Yates assured a thorough review of both Doe’s case and Cornell’s policies on sexual harassment and assault. The review will include recommendations based on their findings.
All seven men accused in Doe’s lawsuit deny the allegations.