The Guardian · October 14, 2026

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff Says in an Interview That He Knew of a Student's 2024 Report of a Fraternity Sexual Assault and Did Not Follow Up; Cornell Suspends Fraternity House Parties for the Remainder of the Academic Year

• Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged in a New York Times interview that he knew a student had reported a sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024 and did not follow up, and that he had not been aware the student had left the school, according to the report.
• On Tuesday, after the interview, Kotlikoff announced that Cornell would suspend parties at fraternity houses for the remainder of the academic year and add experienced sexual assault investigators to work with its police force, according to the report.
• The Tompkins County district attorney declined to bring charges at the time, saying there was not sufficient evidence, and has since said he would reopen the investigation; Governor Kathy Hochul said she was appointing Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, according to the report. All the men named in the student's lawsuit have denied wrongdoing and none have been charged, according to reporting cited in the source.

Interview, university announcement and case status as reported; the denial by the men named in the lawsuit is included as documented in reporting cited in the source. Original headline: "Cornell president acknowledges he knew about fraternity sexual assault but didn't follow up".