Why Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff didn't apologize

Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff's 8-minute video released late Saturday afternoon addressing the "Jane Doe" rape inquiry contained not a single word of apology. I am not surprised. Here's why:

Considering the ultra-sensitive legal ramifications of anything he or the Cornell administration may say and do, without a doubt his attorneys said an apology would be tantramount to admitting they made grave errors in handling the 2024 assault.

With Leticia James assigned as the special prosecutor, Kotlikoff has to be very, very careful what he says. Outside of promising they "must do better" and announcing the Board of Trustees would launch an independent review by an outside law firm, his hands are tighly tied.

Kotlikoff checked all the right boxes for a crisis response except the apology -- acknowledging huge mistrust issues and campus turmoil, promising more transparency in the future, and holding fraternities more accountable.

About the strongest thing he could say was one of those cringey hedging phrases, calling the 2024 incident "deeply disturbing."

Without a doubt, everybody wants to hear an apology of some kind from Cornell's president, who started his job the same year as the alleged rape. And they are going to walk away disappointed, unfortunately.