'Trust wise... It's shaky': Cornell students react as campus police face scrutiny

Cornell University Police are facing renewed scrutiny over the department’s handling of a 2024 sexual assault investigation, as Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for an outside review and some students question whether they trust the systems meant to keep them safe.

The scrutiny follows a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. None of the seven men accused in the lawsuit have been criminally charged.

According to police statements obtained by CBS News New York, Jane Doe told Cornell University Police during an interview about three weeks after the alleged incident, “I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped.”

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten previously said Jane Doe’s initial sworn statement did not allege she was drugged against her will or gang-raped and described portions of the drug use and sexual activity as voluntary, conscious and consensual.

Van Houten has since reopened the investigation and said the case will be presented to a grand jury.

Cornell has defended its handling of the allegations. The university said Cornell Police followed protocol and shared its findings with the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office. Cornell also said its separate Title IX investigation resulted in sanctions including suspensions and expulsions. The Chi Phi fraternity was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.

Ithaca Police previously told CNY Central it was never notified of the 2024 allegations and only learned about the case through media coverage.

The case has also renewed attention on sexual offenses reported at Cornell.

Under the federal Clery Act, colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs are required to disclose statistics for certain crimes reported on or near their campuses.

In 2024, Cornell reported 44 on-campus rape and fondling incidents, according to Clery Act data reviewed by CNY Central.

When CNY Central adjusted the reported incidents for student enrollment, Cornell’s rate of reported rape and fondling incidents was approximately three times the rate at Syracuse University and Colgate University.

The statistics represent reported incidents and do not establish how many resulted in arrests, university discipline or criminal convictions. They also should not be interpreted as a count of every sexual assault that occurred on a campus.

The numbers come as Hochul calls for outside counsel to conduct what she described as a transparent, independent review of Cornell’s response to the 2024 allegations.

“There are also serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response,” Hochul said Tuesday.

CNY Central went to Ithaca Tuesday to ask students and community members how they view campus safety and Cornell University Police.

For Cornell senior Athena Holloway, the issue is personal.

Holloway said she reported an incident during her freshman year and felt the university’s Title IX office did not provide the support she needed afterward.

“I personally had an experience with that my freshman year, and I felt like the Title IX office wasn’t very helpful in terms of resources for me after I had reported my incident, and it kind of left me not really wanting to do more about it,” Holloway said.

Asked whether she currently feels safe at Cornell, Holloway answered directly.

“No, I do not feel safe on campus,” she said.

Freshman Jaden Kim said he has not personally interacted with Cornell Police yet, but the renewed attention surrounding the 2024 case has affected his perception of the department.

“As a freshman, I don’t have too much input on that just because I just got here. But trust-wise, I haven’t had any interactions with them yet. So I don’t know. I guess not fully,” Kim said.

Asked whether the current controversy has affected that trust, Kim described it as “a little shaky.”

Concerns also extend beyond the student body.

Yasmin Abdur-Rashid, a longtime member of the Ithaca community, said she was surprised to learn the allegations now receiving renewed attention date back nearly two years.

“I was shocked to find out that this case was two years ago,” Abdur-Rashid said. “That was shocking, very telling, still shocking.”

Cornell addresses students

Cornell addressed its community directly Tuesday night in a message acknowledging that recent reports have raised questions about how the university responds to sexual misconduct.

The university pointed to its Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault, established in early 2025, and said work is underway to implement its recommendations.

Cornell said it will continue to “examine and strengthen” its policies and directed students to university resources available to people who experience sexual misconduct or assault.

Holloway said she wants to see those conversations produce tangible results.

“I just feel like there needs to be more transparency and actual change in offices,” Holloway said. “I feel like keeping to have conversations about this without anything happening isn’t serving anyone.”

The renewed scrutiny comes as the district attorney moves forward with the reopened criminal investigation and Hochul seeks an independent review of Cornell’s response. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the 2024 allegations.