Politics

New York State Police to Handle All Future Sexual Offense Reports at Cornell

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that state police will now investigate all future sexual offence complaints at Cornell University. The decision follows the handling of a 2024 alleged campus rape incident in which a student, known anonymously as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit after she was allegedly drugged and gang‑raped at a fraternity. Cornell initially defended its disciplinary measures but later admitted it had fallen short in its handling of the case. The fallout has intensified criticism of the university, and its administration, including President Michael Kotlikoff, faces a no‑confidence vote by the Faculty Senate. The vote will be open to faculty from Friday and run until 6 November. In response to the incident, Cornell announced measures such as adding sexual assault investigators to its police force. Hochul said she was “deeply disturbed” by how the investigation was handled and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee a reopened investigation into potential criminal charges. Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit alleges she was drugged and raped by seven men at a fraternity house in 2024; the men are now known as the Cornell Seven. The governor stated that when someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated by law‑enforcement trained to support survivors. She added that survivors should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting them.