Overview
- A court filing on Oct. 20 formally removed Orazio Petito from the 101‑page civil complaint filed last month and the dismissal was entered with prejudice so the claim cannot be refiled against him.
- The civil suit still targets seven former Chi Phi members and Cornell University over an alleged drug‑facilitated gang rape that the plaintiff says happened in October 2024.
- Newly public transcripts, messages and short video excerpts from the civil filing prompted a reopened criminal review that Governor Kathy Hochul assigned to New York Attorney General Letitia James for state‑level handling.
- Jane Doe told faculty in a letter that she felt "unsupported and disbelieved" by President Michael Kotlikoff after a meeting in January 2025, a charge Cornell disputes and which the independent review led by Sally Yates will examine.
- Campus protests, a ban on fraternity parties for the academic year, Title IX sanctions that closed the Chi Phi chapter and a Faculty Senate deliberation that will resume on Oct. 28 reflect ongoing pressure for changes to how the university and prosecutors handle sexual‑assault reports.