Cornell faculty member alleges "silencing of Jane Doe's voice"

Some Cornell faculty members say they were not shown a letter apparently from Jane Doe, who said she Some Cornell faculty members say a letter purportedly from Jane Doe in which she said she "felt unsupported and disbelieved" by university president Michael Kotlikoff was not shared with them. One faculty member called that a "silencing of Jane Doe's voice." Doe has filed a lawsuit alleging gang rape at a 2024 fraternity party. The allegations have started a firestorm of controversy and prompted a criminal investigation as well as an independent review at Cornell over how it handled her allegations. The letter purporting to be from Doe was dated Oct. 14 and sent to Cornell faculty leaders.

That's the same day members of the Faculty Senate began debating a possible no-confidence vote in Kotlikoff's administration. In the letter, the writer says she felt "disbelieved" by Kotlikoff. The letter also asks the faculty be made aware of its contents. The writer says she's not trying to tell the faculty how to vote, she just wants them to have this information before they vote. However, three Cornell faculty sources tell CBS News New York's Mahsa Saeidi they never received the letter from university administration. "I think what's the most important at this point is that the Faculty Senate did not receive that letter