A former Cornell University student known as Jane Doe has dropped her civil lawsuit against a man she initially misidentified as the president of the Chi Phi fraternity during the time of her alleged gang rape in October 2024. The case against Orazio Petito was dismissed after it was determined he was not serving as chapter president at the time of the incident, according to a notice of discontinuance filed Tuesday.
Jane Doe, who reported the alleged assault to campus police on November 8, 2024, has also released a letter criticizing university President Michael Kotlikoff’s response to her complaint. In the letter, addressed to Cornell’s Dean of Faculty and the Speaker of the Faculty Senate, Doe claims that during a January 2025 meeting with the president of her sorority, Kotlikoff asked, 'Why did she wait so long to report it?' Doe’s letter states she interpreted this as an expression of doubt in the veracity of her account.
The alleged assault occurred over the night of October 19 into the morning of October 20, 2024, at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Doe accused seven fraternity members of gang raping her during the incident. Two of those accused, Umar Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, were expelled from the university following the allegations.
Cornell University spokesperson disputed the characterization of Kotlikoff’s remarks in Doe’s letter. 'The second-hand account of the question asked by President Kotlikoff in a January 2025 meeting in the letter is incorrect, based on a documented first-hand account,' the spokesperson stated. The university did not provide further details regarding the documented account.
Petito’s attorney, Eric Bernstein, confirmed the dismissal of the case against his client and stated, 'We're pleased with the dismissal of the case against my client, and justice was served.' Bernstein added that Petito was not serving as president of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi at the time of the alleged assault.
Doe’s letter was obtained by The New York Times and shared with ABC News. In the letter, she expressed disappointment in Kotlikoff’s administration, stating that his alleged response diminished her confidence in the university’s ability to handle her case with sensitivity and fairness. Doe had previously sent a letter to the faculty senate ahead of a resolution of no confidence in Kotlikoff and the university administration, though the resolution’s status remains unclear.