Cornell University’s main administration building was marked with graffiti and a glass door was damaged overnight, as Ithaca prepared to vote Wednesday on a proposed halt to new city event permits for the university and affiliated student groups.
Red-painted messages criticized Cornell’s handling of sexual assault complaints, according to The Associated Press. Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball said the university was investigating. The available account does not identify who caused the damage or connect them to student groups planning a Monday demonstration.
The proposed permit moratorium and campus protests follow a civil lawsuit filed by a former student identified as Jane Doe. She alleges that seven then-Cornell students sexually assaulted her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The allegations have not been proved in court, and no criminal charges have been filed.
Council to consider permit moratorium Wednesday
Ithaca’s Common Council is scheduled to vote Oct. 7 on a proposal that would stop the city from issuing new permits to Cornell and its affiliated student organizations for assemblies, special events, use of the Ithaca Commons and certain noise-related activities, CNY Central reported.
If approved, the moratorium would take effect after the meeting adjourns and expire Nov. 5 unless the council takes further action. It would affect events requiring the specified city permits; it would not prohibit every Cornell-affiliated gathering.
Mayor Robert Cantelmo called for a permit moratorium last week, criticizing what he described as Cornell’s failure to coordinate with Ithaca police after Doe reported the alleged assault. Ithaca police have said they were not notified in 2024. Cornell police did refer material to Tompkins County prosecutors, who declined to file charges at the time.
Cornell has said it shares the mayor’s concern for student safety and will work with him. The university says its own disciplinary process resulted in suspensions and expulsions and that the Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024. It disputes the suggestion that writing essays was the sole consequence for any student involved.
Students plan demonstration; Cornell investigates damage
Student organizations planned a late-afternoon “Justice for Survivors” demonstration Monday to seek changes in Cornell’s handling of sexual assault complaints and further accountability in the Chi Phi case. On Sunday, the Ithaca College Young Feminist Coalition held a rally in support of Doe attended by students from Ithaca College and Cornell, according to CNY Central.
Kimball said “damaging property is not the answer” to the frustration and strong emotions surrounding the case. The investigation into the graffiti and broken door is separate from the planned demonstration.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff addressed the allegations in a video Saturday, calling Doe’s account troubling and pledging greater transparency. He reaffirmed support for an independent review of the university’s response. Cornell has agreed to that review, but its scope, reviewer and timetable have not been publicly announced.
Trump criticizes special prosecutor
President Donald Trump said Friday that the men accused in Doe’s lawsuit would not get “a fair shake” from New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed as special prosecutor in the reopened criminal investigation. Trump called James corrupt while speaking to reporters outside the White House.
Trump and James have previously clashed over a separate civil fraud case her office brought against him. His comments do not change James’ appointment or establish how her office will handle the Cornell investigation.
Hochul assigned the case to James after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened it. Van Houten had declined charges in 2024 after reviewing a statement Doe gave Cornell police. Doe’s attorney has disputed his description of that statement, which has not been released in full.
James has said her office will gather evidence, interview witnesses and pursue charges if warranted. A grand jury presentation remains possible, but none has been announced. The criminal investigation, Doe’s pending civil lawsuit and Cornell’s promised independent review will proceed separately as Ithaca’s council considers the permit proposal Wednesday.
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