Cornell Student Leader Says 35% of Women Faced Misconduct, Accusing University of Complicity
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Oct 2
Cornell Student Leader Says 35% of Women Faced Misconduct, Accusing University of Complicity
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Oct 2
Summary
Adriana Vink said Cornell students feel “let down” and called the university “complicit in rape culture” after a campus event on sexual violence drew dozens of students, some of whom shared their own misconduct experiences.
The criticism comes after Cornell reported that 35% of undergraduate women surveyed in 2025 said they had experienced unwanted sexual conduct during their time at the university, up from 23% in 2023.
Vink tied those concerns to a 2024 lawsuit over an alleged assault and to broader institutional failures, also citing more than $1 billion in Weill Cornell Medicine settlements tied to former urologist Darius Paduch, who was sentenced to life in prison.
Cornell said it investigated the 2024 case internally, expelling two accused students, suspending two for at least two semesters, and closing the fraternity chapter; one student graduated before punishment and two were cleared.
Students are now pressing Cornell to go further by removing remaining fraternity members allegedly involved and revoking degrees already awarded, while prosecutors have since reopened the criminal side of the Jane Doe case.