Cornell administration building vandalized amid uproar over university's handling of alleged gang rape

Students protested on the Cornell University campus on Monday, outraged at how the school handled an alleged gang rape investigation two years ago in which nobody was criminally charged.

The school said earlier an administration building office was vandalized during the overnight hours.

This comes as Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff has promised to "do better," pledging more transparency and accountability.

"What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come," Kotlikoff said.

"I am angry. But also looking around, I have such a strong sense of solidarity from the rest of the Cornell community," one student at the protest said.

Members of Cornell's Faculty Senate are preparing to hold a no-confidence vote on Oct. 14 against the administration over its handling of the alleged sexual assault case.

Last week, CBS News New York exclusively obtained video of Chi Phi fraternity's group Snapchat conversation from the night Jane Doe, the alleged victim, says she was drugged and raped inside the frat's house.

According to the lawsuit, Doe says members of Chi Phi used Snapchat to invite others to join in, with one advertising "free" sex.

Video has surfaced of a student on campus confronting one of seven men named by Doe in the civil lawsuit against Cornell and the fraternity.

"Are you on the group chat?" a student asks one of the men.

"There were 60 people in it," the man responds.

"And none of you did [expletive]?" the students asks.

"I had nothing to do with it," the man says.

Andrew T. Miltenberg, the attorney for that man, said his client was subject to a public frenzy on social media.

"These are not allegations that should be tried on video, on Instagram. These are very serious allegations," Miltenberg said.

CBS News has reached out to all seven of the men named in the lawsuit. Two of their attorneys have responded, saying their clients deny the allegations.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is now conducting an investigation into the alleged sexual assault. Miltenberg, however, says James should recuse herself from the case.

"Attorney General James made very public, posted Facebook comments that seemingly have prejudged or at least shown a bias towards the alleged victim in this case," Miltenberg said.

CBS News New York reached out to Attorney General James for comment on the call for her to step back from the case, but she did not immediately respond.

Both Gov. Kathy Hochul and James were asked about James' social media posts at a news conference to announce her appointment as special prosecutor.

Hochul said James "will follow the facts. She'll examine the evidence and go wherever it leads, and if the evidence supports charges, she will pursue them," adding that she had full confidence in her.

James said late last week she wouldn't be commenting about her social media post.