Leader Schumer Statement On The Cornell University Sexual Assault Case

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement on the need for a thorough investigation following the horrifying allegations coming out of Cornell University:

"The allegations of sexual assault and rape at Cornell University are horrifying and deserve a thorough investigation that leaves no stone unturned. It took extraordinary courage for this young woman to come forward to university administrators and police. What she reported demanded urgency, seriousness, and an unflinching pursuit of the truth from the very beginning.

"Sexual assault remains far too common on college campuses across America, and the culture of silence and complicity that allows it to persist must be confronted. It is incumbent upon all of us- elected officials, university leaders, faculty, and students - to build campus communities where sexual violence is never tolerated, minimized, or ignored.

"There must now be a truly independent and exhaustive investigation - not only into what happened, but into how this case was handled from the moment she came forward. Every fact must be uncovered. Every failure must be examined. Wherever wrongdoing occurred, there must be accountability.

"She had the courage to come forward. No survivor should have to summon that courage - and then fight the system to make it respond."

###