Cornell student drops case against man she misidentified as fraternity president

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 21:20 · Archive

A Cornell University student has dropped her lawsuit against a man she wrongly identified as president of the Chi Phi fraternity.

A Cornell University student who has accused Chi Phi fraternity members of gang rape in October 2024 has dropped her lawsuit against Orazio Petito, whom she misidentified as the chapter's president. Petito was never accused of sexual assault. A notice of discontinuance was filed on Tuesday. Petito's attorney, Eric Bernstein, told Newsday that the case was dismissed because his client was not serving as president of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi at the time of the alleged assault. The actual president's identity remains unclear.

The student has also released a letter criticising Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff for his handling of her case. According to the New York Times, she claimed that after reporting the alleged attack in November 2024, Kotlikoff spoke with her sorority president and asked why she had waited so long to report it. The student described this response as "an expression of doubt in the veracity of my story" and said it left her feeling "unsupported and disbelieved." She described Cornell as her "dream school" but said the experience had tarnished her views of the university.

Kotlikoff acknowledged missteps in the university's handling of the case during a faculty meeting, but defended his leadership as the faculty Senate debated a no-confidence resolution in his administration.

How it is being reported

• ‘Cornell 7’ Jane Doe drops case against man she mis-ID’d as fraternity presidentThe actual identity of Chi Phi's chapter president at the time remains unclear.New York Post · 21 Oct, 21:11
• Cornell Jane Doe drops case against man she misidentified as fraternity president at time alleged gang-rape took placeCornell University's Jane Doe has dropped her case against Orazio Petito, whom she mistakenly identified as the Chi Phi president.Daily Mail · 20 Oct, 17:46

In this story: Orazio Petito · Cornell University · Chi Phi · Michael Kotlikoff · Eric Bernstein

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem