Cornell Disputes Jane Doe Letter on President; Polymarket Pulls Bet on Assault Case Charges

Cornell University said Tuesday that a former student known as Jane Doe was incorrect in describing a comment by President Michael Kotlikoff, after she wrote to the Faculty Senate that she felt unsupported and disbelieved by him. She accused multiple men of sexually assaulting her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The letter reached the Faculty Senate earlier this month, as it considers a no-confidence vote in Kotlikoff's administration. Doe wrote that a Tri Delta chapter president relayed Kotlikoff's reaction as asking why she waited so long to report. Cornell called that account incorrect, said a documented first-hand account showed the question was aimed at bystanders who did not use the anonymous tip line, and noted social media activity in October 2024. Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police on Nov. 8, 2024, about three weeks after it allegedly happened. Separately, Polymarket removed a contract that let users wager on whether any of the seven accused men would face a felony sex-crime charge. It had been available since Sept. 30.

Right-leaning outlets, Washington Times and Newsmax, cover only the Polymarket removal, describing the accusation as rape. Left-leaning CBS and NBC cover Doe's letter and Cornell's response, with CBS quoting both. Alternative outlets split: The Hill covers the letter and response, citing The New York Times, while AP covers Polymarket and uses "sexually assaulting or exploiting."