College boss issues statement on Cornell 7 and brands it ‘deeply disturbing’

Expand The president of Cornell University has said allegations that a female student was raped and drugged will ‘weigh heavily’ on the institution.

Michael Kotlikoff shared an eight-minute clip last night in which he described the claims relating to the so-called Cornell 7 suspects as ‘deeply disturbing’.

A student has claimed she was assaulted while ‘grossly intoxicated’ on the campus in Ithaca, New York, in 2024.

‘My heart breaks when I think about what she [allegedly] experienced,’ the university president said.

Mr Kotlikoff added the case raised ‘troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanisation and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use’.

He said: ‘You have my commitment that this will not be a moment that passes.’

The University chief stressed his commitment to the investigation now being led by New York attorney general Letitia James and supported changes in laws to help victims of sexual assault and encourage them to come forward.

New York laws currently make it harder to advance prosecution for sexual assaults when individuals involved voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs.

The victim, identified in court documents by the generic name Jane Doe, has brought a lawsuit against seven members of the university’s Chi Phi fraternity.

She claimed she had been ‘plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication’, before being sexually assaulted without consent.

A student meeting on Thursday saw several speakers call for Mr Kotlikoff to step aside over the institution’s handling of the incident.

The president said it was necessary to have ‘hard conversations’ about campus culture and pledged to be more transparent amid concerns that poor communication had led to distrust among students.

His comments come as Donald Trump said he felt for the seven charged students, claiming they wouldn’t get a ‘fair shake’ under Ms James.

The New York attorney general successfully prosecuted the US president on 34 counts of falsifying business records before his second term at the White House.

In a statement on Friday, James said: ‘I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order.

‘We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions. I know that you want answers. I do too.’

Trump had previously said he trusted Cornell University to ‘do what’s right’, calling the institution a ‘fine school’.

The university has said it will review the role of fraternities on campus in light of the incident.

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