World · North America · 3 hrs ago
Cornell expelled two of 16 students found responsible for sexual assault
Cornell University found 16 students responsible for sexual assault in Title IX investigations from mid-2020 to mid-2024.
The cases involved complaints about assaults on the university’s campus in New York.
Only two of those students were expelled, while others received reprimands or measures such as probation, no-contact orders and directed study.
Directed study can include reading or watching material and discussing how it relates to the case.
Former student Kacey Lee said a student found responsible for assaulting her received probation, a no-contact order and a reflection paper, leaving her feeling betrayed.
Critics say the punishments were too lenient, while Cornell’s panel said education on consent could help prevent future misconduct in Lee’s case.
Cornell has not yet published data for the school year that began in fall 2024, when a woman identified as Jane Doe alleged she was raped by seven students at the Chi Phi fraternity.
Cornell’s Title IX investigations found students responsible in 16 sexual assault cases between mid-2020 and mid-2024.
Two of those students were expelled, while others received reprimands or different sanctions.
One former student said the punishment for the student found responsible for assaulting her included a reflection paper and felt inadequate.
A nonprofit executive and former students have criticized the punishments as too lenient.
Cornell has not published data for the school year starting in fall 2024 or more recent years.
- Who
- Cornell University students found responsible for sexual assault, and the university that investigated them.
- What
- Investigators found students responsible in 16 cases; two were expelled. Other students received different sanctions.
- When
- Between mid-2020 and mid-2024.
- Where
- Cornell University’s campus in New York.
- Why
- Not stated
Cornell Title IX panel
Critics of Cornell’s punishments
Punishment
Cornell Title IX panel
In one case, the panel said education in affirmative consent and related topics was likely to prevent similar misconduct.
Critics of Cornell’s punishments
Critics said the sanctions were too lenient and called for harsher punishments.
Impact on complainants
Cornell Title IX panel
The panel said the conduct caused significant harm but was not taken with malicious intent.
Critics of Cornell’s punishments
Former student Kacey Lee said the punishment felt like an extra homework assignment and left her feeling betrayed.
Cornell reviewed 51 formal sexual assault complaints, and Title IX investigations found students responsible in 16 cases.
A student found responsible for assaulting Kacey Lee received disciplinary probation, a no-contact order and directed study that included a reflection paper.
The school year began for which Cornell had not yet published sexual assault report data, according to the article.
The Daily Mail article reported that two of the 16 students found responsible had been expelled.
- Formal complaints
- 51 between mid-2020 and mid-2024
- Students found responsible
- 16 cases
- Expelled
- 2 students
- Other sanctions
- 6 students reprimanded; 7 received other punishments
- Former student
- Kacey Lee
- University
- Cornell University in New York
What people are saying
Should they be expelled? I don't know. But should there be harsher punishments? Yes,
In a way, they were telling me it just wasn't bad enough,
Why is my pain worth an essay.
To know that I went through it all for this illusion of accountability felt even worse.