Michael Kotlikoff tells Cornell's Jane Doe he is sorry but plans to stay on

Cornell University's president has offered Jane Doe a personal apology. He is also making clear that he has no plans to give up his job.

The apology

In a wide-ranging sit-down with the New York Times, Dr. Michael Kotlikoff said he was "personally sorry" for everything Doe says she went through while she was a student at the Ivy League school.

What he says he never saw

Kotlikoff told the paper he never read the hundreds of pages of confidential files compiled during the 2024 Title IX investigation into her sexual assault claims. He said he stayed away from them out of respect for student privacy. He added that the administration now has more information than it had back then.

Title IX lawyer and adviser Scott Schneider pushed back in the same report. He told the Times that a university president may look through a full Title IX file when there is a legitimate institutional purpose. That means Kotlikoff could have studied the case to sharpen how Cornell handles assault complaints but chose not to.

Kotlikoff said he was kept out of the loop when local prosecutors in Tompkins County chose not to bring charges against anyone. He said he likewise was not informed when Doe left the school.

His job and new campus limits

Kotlikoff says he will not resign, though that may not be entirely up to him. Cornell's faculty senate is set to vote on whether it still has confidence in him before October ends.

On Tuesday he announced that fraternities may not host parties for the rest of the academic year as Cornell moves to curb drug and alcohol use on campus.