Calls for Cornell president to resign during protests over gang rape allegation

Hundreds of Cornell University students have protested the university's handling of gang rape allegations in what many hope will be a turning point in the oversight of sexual violence cases on campus.

The woman, identified only by the pseudonym Jane Doe, alleged she was gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 after being pressured into drinking and taking drugs.

In September this year she sued the university, seven former students, the fraternity and others, prompting a new criminal investigation.

Hundreds of students, staff and members of the public gathered at the campus in Ithaca, New York, on Monday local time, calling for the president of the university to resign and for an overhaul to how allegations of sexual assault are handled.

They wore purple ribbons and held signs with messages including "support survivors, expel rapists" and "Justice 4 every Jane Doe".

Suzie Barrows, a sophomore at Cornell University, attended the protest.

She said that the incident had been re-traumatising for her due to her own experience of sexual assault.

"Seeing how this case was handled really struck me to the core, and was deeply unsettling and upsetting to know that the university that I've come to love so much is capable of this and that this happened here on campus," she said.

"It's definitely brought up a lot of memories, a lot of painful memories."

Ms Barrows said rape culture was still prevalent.

"[It] has been allowed to thrive for so long and it needs to end," she said.

"But what truly shocked me was how Cornell was allowing it to continue in this way by not providing proper consequences to the perpetrators.

"It has the effect of taking away hope and faith in the system in total."

She said she was hopeful the momentum from this incident will create change.

"I do feel like this is a turning point and that the world is waking up, in a sense," Ms Barrows said.

Protesters gather on campus

At the weekend, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was "deeply disturbed" by how police handled the allegation.

It follows a report from the New York Times that an assertion by Jane Doe that she was "100 per cent" confident she was raped was left out of an official police report sent to prosecutors, who dropped the case.

Students called for action at Monday's protest.

"Too often we are met with silence, we are met with statements, we are met with procedures, but not enough support," student Athena Holloway told the crowd.

"How much does it take for our university to stand with survivors?"

Photos from earlier in the day showed that the administration building's glass doors had been damaged, and the walls beside them were marked with red-painted messages condemning patriarchy and the university's handling of sexual assaults.

Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball acknowledged students' "frustration and strong emotions" and said the university was investigating the damage.

Calls for resignation over handling

Speakers at the demonstration criticised fraternities and Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff, accusing him and his administration of prioritising protecting the university's reputation over students' safety.

"Kotlikoff, resign!" demonstrators chanted, as they marched to the damaged administration building to present a list of demands including changes to how the student code of conduct defines sexual consent.

They also called for expulsions or revoking the degrees of all students involved in the alleged 2024 assault.

The group's chants included "ban the frats!"

No criminal charges have been filed.

The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell has been shut down, and Cornell said it expelled some students and suspended others.

In a statement last week the administration bristled about the "false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case".

Students, however, have demanded more accountability and transparency.

Ms Hochul has said Jane Doe was "failed by people and institutions" including the Cornell police and local District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.

The governor has ordered the state's attorney-general to take over the criminal investigation into the allegations and has called for an independent review of Cornell's handling of the matter.