Cornell President Faces Contentious Faculty Senate Over Jane Doe Allegations

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University's president faced sharp questions from the Faculty Senate on Wednesday after a former student identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging the university ignored her reports of sexual misconduct involving a star basketball player.

The lawsuit, filed in September, alleges that university administrators failed to act on multiple reports made between 2023 and 2025, and that the accused athlete continued to play while the complainant was told to avoid the athletic center. The complaint seeks $15 million in damages under Title IX for what it describes as a "deliberate indifference" to reports of sexual misconduct.

"The president was asked directly: when did you know, and what did you do?" said Professor Linda Hart, chair of the Faculty Senate, in remarks quoted by NBC News. "The answer was not reassuring to anyone in the room."

The Faculty Senate meeting, which ran nearly four hours, included a closed-door session with the university's Title IX coordinator. Several faculty members submitted a resolution calling for an independent investigation into the university's handling of the case, which passed by a voice vote with only a handful of dissents.

Cornell's president said the university "takes all reports seriously" and noted that the accused athlete was in fact suspended from the team in April 2025, though he remained enrolled on academic scholarship. A university spokesperson said Cornell "cannot comment on pending litigation."

The case has drawn comparisons to the University of Virginia's handling of similar allegations in 2021, which led to a $5 million settlement and changes to the university's Title IX office. Title IX filings at American universities have risen 37 percent since 2020, according to the Department of Education's most recent data.

State Senator James Nolan (R-N.Y.) said he would hold a hearing on university Title IX compliance in November.

Reporting by NBC News. Read the original report: Cornell president faces contentious faculty senate meeting over Jane Doe allegations.