Donald Trump has backed Cornell University as it faces allegations that a former student was drugged and sexually assaulted by members of a fraternity, saying he believed the institution would do the right thing.
Asked by reporters whether Cornell had done enough to investigate the claim, the US president said: “Well, I don’t know that much about it, but I think Cornell’s a fine school and I’m sure they’ll do what’s right.”
The allegations are contained in a civil lawsuit involving seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity. The lawsuit alleges that the men drugged and gang-raped a 20-year-old student in 2024.
One of those accused allegedly sent a message referring to “free p***y” in a Snapchat group chat.
The Tompkins County district attorney has reopened a criminal investigation and plans to present the case to a grand jury. Cornell has said its own Title IX investigation led to suspensions, expulsions and other disciplinary action.
Trump’s comments come almost a year after his administration reached a 60 million dollar agreement with Cornell that restored federal funding and ended pending federal investigations into the university.
While Cornell has faced criticism over its handling of the case, Mr Trump, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, declined to add to the pressure on the institution.
