Students turn on Cornell's president over the school's handling of gang rape allegations

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Some of the students outraged by Cornell University's handling of an alleged fraternity house gang rape are directing their ire at the school’s president, a longtime molecular physiology professor who has faced several crises since taking the top job.

Michael Kotlikoff was Cornell's longest-serving provost before assuming the presidency on an interim basis in July 2024 and on a permanent basis last year.

In his second month in charge, dining and custodial workers walked off the job in a labor dispute that ended about two weeks later. Last fall, some faculty and students criticized Kotlikoff for agreeing to pay $60 million to end Trump administration civil rights investigations into the Ivy League school. And earlier this year, he defended himself from accusations that he tried to back his car into a group of demonstrators following a debate over Israel and Palestinian rights, saying he was the victim of harassment.

But it was the school’s handling of the investigation into the alleged gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, just a few months into his presidency, that threatens his leadership.

The Cornell faculty senate indicated that it plans to vote on a resolution of no confidence in the school's administrators. And at a Monday protest, students chanted and waved signs calling on Kotlikoff to resign or be fired and for fraternities to be banned.

“Throughout his administration, he’s refused to take accountability for anything that has happened,” said one of the protesters, sophomore Sophia Kong. “He does not represent us.”

Kotlikoff, 75, has come under scrutiny since the woman, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month alleging she was sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi members two years ago after being pressured into drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

The woman reported the alleged assault to Cornell police in November 2024, three weeks after she said it occurred. Campus police investigated and sent a summary of their findings to the district attorney’s office, which relied on the information in deciding not to bring criminal charges. Separately, Cornell conducted a Title IX investigation.

Amid mounting outrage over the school’s handling of the case, Kotlikoff called the allegations “deeply disturbing” over the weekend. In an apologetic video, he also reaffirmed his commitment to supporting an independent review called for by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has assailed the campus police department for not fully conveying the woman’s story to prosecutors.

No criminal charges have been filed. The Chi Phi chapter was shut down, and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others. The accused men have all either denied participating or said that the sex that took place was consensual.

As some experts see it, Kotlikoff had limited options. Without criminal charges, only Cornell’s Title IX investigation continued. While the federal law is best known as a gamechanger for female college athletes, it also is supposed to protect sexual assault and harassment accusers. But it is packed with protections for the accused, including giving them the right to cross-examine their accuser. Most victims don't proceed, and when they do, lawsuits from the accuser and accused over the outcome of the proceedings are common.

There are also limits on the punishments schools can mete out, especially for bystanders, said Peter Lake, who directs a center focused on higher education law and policy at Stetson University College of Law in Florida.

If universities act too quickly, they risk a situation like what happened at Duke University two decades ago, when a woman falsely accused three lacrosse players of rape, he said. The players ultimately reached an undisclosed settlement with Duke, which had suspended them, canceled the team’s season and forced their coach to resign after the accusations were first made.

But some point to the role of university leadership in setting campus culture. Critics note that Cornell's fraternities have a history of problems, including hazing and sexual misconduct, and argue that more should have been done to set a better tone and educate students about consent.

“If you are the leader of that campus and this is part of your portfolio of what happens on your campus, it’s not like ‘Oh well that only affects the members of that fraternity and the women that they’re attempting to sleep with,’” said Jane Stapleton, co-founder of the Prevention Innovations Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. “That impacts the entire fabric of the culture of, ‘How do men respect women? How safe is it to be a woman?’”

Within a few weeks of the alleged assault, Kotlikoff issued a statement detailing the investigation and decrying the alleged behavior as “abhorrent.”

A task force on sexual assault that was launched afterward included recommendations such as improved education on Title IX and what it described as “sexual citizenship.” The report said that a 2025 survey found that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men report experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell.

The extent of Cornell’s investigation has emerged in court records filed after one of the punished students sued the school. According to Cornell’s account, investigators conducted 50 interviews with 32 witnesses and gathered evidence that included witness accounts, electronic communications and social media messages. The process ultimately led to a disciplinary hearing that stretched over 12 days.

Kotlikoff has called for a “serious look” at Greek life, but the end of fraternities on campus is not being considered. Instead, Kotlikoff said Cornell would engage students, alumni and others in examining how to preserve the benefits of Greek life while strengthening accountability and transparency.

A little over a decade ago, former Baylor University President Ken Starr, best known for the probe that led to Bill Clinton’s presidential impeachment, lost his job amid allegations that the Texas Baptist school mishandled several cases in which football players were accused of attacking women. In 2021, Oregon State trustees accepted the resignation of university president F. King Alexander, concluding he was unable to rebuild trust at the school because of his role in the mishandling of sexual misconduct cases during his previous tenure at Louisiana State University.

More recently, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was among several U.S. college leaders to resign under pressure for the handling of protests over the war in Gaza.

Soham Bera, a Cornell sophomore, said students have “incredibly low faith” in the university leadership.

“Now, with all this news, with all the attention, we can finally make change,” he said at Monday’s protest.

Lili Rose Mas, a junior who was also calling for Kotlikoff to step down, said she was encouraged by the number of students who joined the protest.

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "WE ARE JANE DOE" during a protest against Cornell University's handling of the 2024 fraternity-house gang rape allegations at the campus, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

A demonstrator shouts during a protest against Cornell University's handling of the 2024 fraternity-house gang rape allegations at the campus, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Demonstrators listen to a speaker during a protest against Cornell University's handling of the 2024 fraternity-house gang rape allegations at the campus, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Demonstrators march during a protest against Cornell University's handling of the 2024 fraternity-house gang rape allegations at the campus, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

CHICAGO (AP) — It’s official: Skydance-owned Paramount closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, ushering in a new Hollywood giant.

The merger brings two of America’s oldest moviemaking studios together under a new name: Skydance. The deal, which followed a tumultuous, roughly yearlong fight, further concentrates power in an industry already run by just a handful of major players.

HBO Max, titles ranging from “Harry Potter” to “Sinners” and networks such as CNN now find themselves under the same roof as Paramount+, CBS and the likes of “Top Gun” and “The Godfather.” All are under the helm of billionaire David Ellison and his new co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.

“Today is a historic day, not just for Skydance but for our entire industry,” Ellison said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to get to work.”

Including billions of dollars in debt, the Warner acquisition amounts to nearly $111 billion.

Ellison’s Skydance bought Paramount for $8 billion last year before setting its sights on Warner. What followed was one of the biggest tie-ups ever in the media and entertainment industry.

Politics loomed over much of the process. The Ellison family has held a long relationship with President Donald Trump, who said Tuesday that Skydance is “going to be a great company.”

The early days of Paramount's quest for Warner turned into a messy bidding war.

Months after disclosing it was open to selling all or part of its business, Warner initially struck a studio and streaming deal with Netflix in December.

But Paramount said it also had made offers that Warner management “never engaged meaningfully” with. It soon launched a hostile counterbid.

The Hollywood giants spent much of early 2026 in a heated back-and-forth over who had a stronger offer, with Warner leadership repeatedly backing Netflix as its preferred suitor. But Netflix bowed out after Paramount eventually upped its offer to buy all of Warner for $31 per share.

Warner and Paramount inked a mutual merger agreement in late February.

Hollywood was closely watching the fight over Warner's future. From awards shows to online petitions, A-list celebrities and other creatives made their voices known.

In April, thousands of movie stars, writers, directors and other professionals announced their “unequivocal opposition” to the Paramount-Warner merger. An open letter — which was signed by long-outspoken critics of the deal like Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo, as well as Hollywood heavyweights from Denis Villeneuve to J.J. Abrams — warned of fewer jobs and “less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world.”

Others lined up to back Paramount as Ellison reiterated his commitments to the movies. At CinemaCon, the company debuted a glossy mini movie about the studio directed by Jon M. Chu and narrated by Tom Cruise — who ended the spot atop the iconic Paramount water tower, with the words “the future is paramount and the future looks pretty great from here.” Director James Cameron also doubled down on his support of Ellison.

The prospect of a new Warner owner also loomed over awards season, from #BlockTheMerger pins to more subtle nods in acceptance speeches. When accepting her Emmy last month, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” actor Sally Field — who also signed the open letter in opposition to the Paramount-Warner deal — stressed that “unique storytelling matters” and “we can’t let those voices be silenced, or compromised or merged.”

Many industry critics were also outspoken when Netflix's studio and streaming deal was on the table, with a particular focus on the future of movies staying in theaters.

Critics are also watching what happens with CNN under Skydance.

Trump has regularly attacked reporting he deems unfavorable at CNN (most recently attempting to bar the outlet from the White House altogether). Over the course of the Warner buyout, his administration chimed in about hopes for a new owner.

Days after Paramount launched its hostile bid for Warner, Trump said that CNN spread “poison and lies” and “it’s imperative that CNN be sold.”

The White House took aim again at CNN in March, over the network's coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters that “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

After the deal closed, Trump called it a “great” merger. “I’m glad they let it go,” he added.

Ellison has said editorial independence will be maintained at CNN. Skydance is retaining Mark Thompson as CNN’s editor-in-chief.

Under a settlement finalized last month with states that had sued over the takeover, the company agreed to form a “News Editorial Independence Board.”

Critics point to turmoil already seen at CBS under Skydance ownership and aren’t convinced this new body will be able to do much, because Ellison is set to have ample oversight over appointments.

Ellison has maintained a close relationship with Trump. He reportedly hosted a dinner in Washington in Trump’s honor in April, on the same day Warner shareholders gave their green light for the merger. In June, just two days after the Justice Department said it wouldn't intervene in the deal, Ellison attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship match on the White House lawn for Trump’s 80th birthday (streamed by Paramount+).

To help fund its Warner buyout, Paramount racked up billions of dollars in financial backing from three Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Federal Communications Commission approved the company’s request for sizable indirect ownership from those foreign investors.

Paramount previously disclosed it expected those funds to indirectly own nearly 50% of equity interests — but no voting rights — of Skydance. But the company asked for clearance of up to 100% to account for potential future investments, which the FCC granted, citing in part that access to more capital would strengthen the broadcast industry and was therefore “in the public interest.”

The FCC’s sole Democratic commissioner, Anna Gomez, and other critics have called the move alarming and unprecedented. They argue that amount of money opens the door to behind-the-scenes influence.

Paramount cleared antitrust hurdles for its Warner acquisition from the Justice Department and regulators worldwide over the summer.

But in July, Democratic attorneys general from 12 states — led by California's Rob Bonta — sued to block the merger, alleging the combined company would “extinguish competition” and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly movie theatergoers and cable customers across the U.S.

The Writers Guild of America followed suit.

Settlements emerged in September. The states' terms, approved by a judge, include pledges from the company to increase film production in the U.S. over the next five years, commit millions of dollars to a fund aimed at supporting workers displaced by the merger and establish new editorial monitoring of CNN and CBS.

Critics said the remedies were too weak, but the settlements cleared the way for the deal to close.

Associated Press reporter Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed.

An aerial view shows Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A Skydance billboard is displayed outside Paramount Global office in Times Square, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - The Warner Bros. water tower is seen at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., on Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)