The victim of a gang sexual assault at Cornell University in the U.S. has revealed that she got the impression the university president did not believe her sexual assault report, shaking her trust in the university administration.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on October 20 (local time), "Jane Doe" (a pseudonym used for an anonymous female victim) recently sent a letter to the leadership of the Faculty Senate ahead of discussions on a vote of no confidence against President Michael Kotlikoff.

In the letter, she explained that she was told by attendees that during a meeting with sorority leaders in January 2025, President Kotlikoff reacted to her assault report with remarks to the effect of, "Why did she wait so long to report it?"

She added that she was also told some other faculty members present at the scene appeared distressed by the president's remarks.

The victim reported the incident to the police about three weeks after it occurred in October 2024.

"I felt unsupported and doubted by the president of a place I once considered my dream school," she confessed, adding, "My confidence in the university administration's capabilities has declined."

On October 28, the Faculty Senate is scheduled to officially debate a resolution of no confidence against President Kotlikoff.

Although the university subsequently disciplined the male students involved in the incident, controversy surrounding the handling of the case has continued.

The university explained, "The remarks at the time were not intended to question the victim's report itself, but rather to ask why witnesses did not use the school's anonymous hotline, given that discussions were active on social media immediately after the incident."

Jane Doe explained that she did not ask the Faculty Senate to vote in a specific direction in her letter, but rather sent it in the hope that information regarding her experience would be considered in the process of evaluating the president.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)