Cornell Rape Allegation: State Takes Over Probe as Accuser Criticizes University President's Response
Photo: APNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to take over the investigation into allegations that several Cornell University students raped a woman at a fraternity party. Local police and county prosecutors had not brought charges, and Hochul said they failed the accuser. The woman said Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff questioned why she waited to report the alleged assault, according to her secondhand account of his remark. She said it left her feeling unsupported and disbelieved. Days before the appointment, James posted that what the woman endured was horrific and unacceptable. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said elite institutions nationwide have a culture of rape, sexual assault and pedophilia. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said Cornell protected the accused and let them off lightly.
Right-leaning outlets had not reported the story at the time of writing; left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. AP, the alternative source, leads with the accuser's account of the president's response. Vox, on the left, leads with political reaction, mainly Democrats' expressions of support for the accuser, and a divide among progressives over whether to make prosecutions easier.
How the sides differ Alternative sources focus on the accuser's account of the Cornell president's remark; left sources stress political reaction and a progressive divide; right sources have not covered it.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
Vox leads with the political fallout, quoting Ocasio-Cortez, El-Sayed, Hochul and James, and examines a split between victims' rights advocates and criminal justice reformers over prosecutions.
AP leads with the accuser's account that Cornell's president questioned her delay in reporting, and how that left her feeling unsupported and disbelieved.
Not covering this story. None of the right-leaning outlets Crosswire tracks has reported it yet. What one side leaves out can be as telling as what the others report.