‘Jane Doe V. Cornell’: Netflix releases documentary on Cornell gangrape case amid growing calls for President’s resignation

Netflix on October 29 released a brief documentary on the Cornell University gang rape case, coinciding with increasing scrutiny of the school's administrators regarding their response to Jane Doe's allegations from 2024.A new Netflix documentary revisits Jane Doe’s allegations of rape at Cornell. (Getty Images via AFP)The 36-minute documentary titled Jane Doe V. Cornell represents the fifth episode in what the streaming service refers to as ‘Instadocs’, which are rapidly produced narrative nonfiction accounts that explore latest news stories.This documentary was released less than two months following Doe's civil lawsuit, in which she claims to have been drugged and raped at the Chi Phi Fraternity house in October 2024.Cornell President faces scrutiny, resignation callsThe documentary comes at a time when several faculty members are seeking the removal of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other officials, claiming that their response to the "persistent issue of sexual assault" on campus has been insufficient.On October 29, the Cornell Faculty Senate commenced voting on a symbolic no confidence resolution directed at university administrators, while the American Association of University Professors chapter at the institution officially urged the president to step down.Also Read: Cornell gangrape case: Defendant Diego Sarabia seeks dismissal from Jane Doe's lawsuitCornell 7 defendants want removal of AG Letitia JamesTwo lawyers defending clients accused of sexual assault at Cornell University are requesting the dismissal of New York Attorney General Letitia James from her position as the special prosecutor overseeing the investigation into these allegations.In early October, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed James, despite the attorney's previous public endorsement of Jane Doe in her lawsuit alleging she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in 2024.Hochul's decision followed public outcry after it was revealed in September that the local district attorney in Tompkins County chose not to present the case to a grand jury.During a hearing on Thursday, Judge James Farrell inquired of the defendant's attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, about the reason the accused men have not come together to request James' removal, as per CNN.“We got here because people were not satisfied with the investigation done by Cornell and the results of that,” Miltenberg, the defendant Gillio Lopes, reportedly told the judge.“We’re here because people were not satisfied with the Tompkins County district attorney’s approach to this. Why do we need to put the people of this state in the position of again lacking confidence in the result?”James did not attend the hearing. Assistant Attorney General Kaitlin Vigars informed the judge that James' public opinion does not constitute a conflict of interest or an "impediment" to the investigation, emphasizing that a prosecutor "has a duty of fair dealing to the accused," according to CNN.Disclaimer: If you or someone you are aware of has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.