President addresses Cornell Sanctions and record dispute

Oct 1

ABC airs Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff's video message promising transparency and saying the administration and community must do better, including on sexual assault and party culture. Citing the New York Times, Olivia Rubin reports two expulsions, two suspensions of two years and three semesters with reflection papers, a campus ban for a graduate accused of forcibly kissing Jane Doe, and harassment study/reflection requirements for two other room entrants. She reviews a November 2024 memo in which a Cornell investigator says the DA declined additional evidence; the DA says Cornell did not share all the materials. Doe's lawyer criticizes the six-page police summary for omitting her explicit rape allegation. The report recalls Hochul appointing Letitia James special prosecutor, carries Hochul's demand for truth, and describes the I am Jane Doe solidarity campaign. All seven men deny wrongdoing. Rubin also reports that one man's suit to reverse his disciplinary decision was denied and his lawyer is appealing, presenting the lawyer's concern for students' futures. None of these accounts establishes criminal guilt.

On October 1, Hochul appoints Attorney General Letitia James special prosecutor to investigate the alleged 2024 Chi Phi assault and prosecute if warranted, displacing the local district attorney. ABC's October 2 investigation says texts, recorded calls and campus witness interviews did not reach the earlier prosecutor; Hochul criticizes a partial police record. Fox reports Van Houten saying he relied on a signed revised statement, now acknowledges not receiving the full picture and will cooperate. James says an active investigation is underway and declines to comment on an earlier Facebook post when asked about prejudgment. Cornell says it conducted a thorough investigation and supports the new inquiry; defense lawyers deny wrongdoing and Doe's lawyer welcomes the appointment. No guilt finding or completed investigation is established. ABC's October 4 follow-up revisits the special-prosecutor appointment through the original six-page-summary dispute. Doe's lawyer says her explicit rape allegation was omitted. ABC reviews a November 2024 memo in which a Cornell investigator says the DA declined further evidence; the DA says Cornell did not share all the materials. Hochul says she wants the truth. These competing handoff explanations remain attributed, and all seven men deny wrongdoing; the follow-up does not redetermine the appointment date or establish guilt. The full October 2 conference preserves Hochul's explanation and James's complete qualifications: facts and law will guide an active criminal inquiry, evidence and witness interviews will be gathered over coming months, and prosecutions will follow only if warranted. Hochul defends James's impartial fact review when a reporter questions her prior Facebook comments; James declines comment on that post. At the end James specifies that her criminal investigation will not currently focus on the district attorney's actions. Hochul says she lacks enough information to call for either the university president or the DA to resign.