Cornell faculty say letter from Jane Doe on assault allegations was withheld

Some Cornell faculty members reported they were not shown a letter purportedly from Jane Doe, who alleged she felt unsupported and disbelieved by Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff, CBS News reported.

The letter, dated October 14, was sent to Cornell faculty leaders on the same day the Faculty Senate began debating a possible no-confidence vote in Kotlikoff's administration. In the letter, Doe expressed feeling disbelieved by Kotlikoff and requested the faculty be informed before voting, according to CBS News.

Three Cornell faculty sources told CBS News they never received the letter from university administration, which one faculty member described as a "silencing of Jane Doe's voice." The Faculty Senate member Risa Lieberwitz said this lack of access prevented the Senate from questioning Kotlikoff directly about the letter.

The university stated that the dean of faculty sent the letter to general counsel for verification and then shared it with an independent review, CBS News reported.

Separately, NBC News obtained a letter from Jane Doe in which she said President Kotlikoff appeared to question her allegations during a meeting with her sorority’s leader. Doe said the sorority president told her Kotlikoff asked why she waited to report the incident, which she interpreted as doubt about her story. Cornell disputed this characterization, stating Kotlikoff's question was about bystanders who had not reported the allegations, not Doe herself.

The allegations stem from a 2024 fraternity party and have prompted a criminal investigation and independent review at Cornell, according to CBS News and NBC News.