The suspected gunman in an elementary school shooting in Bend, Oregon, was shot by a parent of two students who saw the teen entering the school, his family said on Friday.

Three children and a teacher were killed after a gunman opened fire in Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday, authorities said. Another student and teacher were injured critically, according to officials.

Police have not yet released any information about the bystander who stopped the suspect, but the hero was identified by family as Kaylub Giamanco.

Giamanco, who has two daughters who attend the school, was driving nearby when he heard the commotion and ran into the school, his family said. The family confirmed that Giamanco has a concealed carry permit.

His family said he is overwhelmed by this and regrets not being able to save more lives.

"Lifelong Bend resident Kaylub Giamanco has come forward as the man who shot and killed the suspect who entered the school. He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support," the family said in a statement to ABC News.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek thanked the community member who she said "heroically intervened to stop further loss of life."

President Donald Trump on Friday praised him as "a great hero" while addressing reporters outside the White House.

"He took care of business, and thank God we had him. Otherwise it would have been much worse," the president said.

Giamanco's family described him as thoughtful and empathetic.

"Kaylub's family, including his two daughters who attend the school, respectfully asks for privacy during this difficult time and will not be participating in interviews," the family said.

ABC News' Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.

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The Immigrations Customs and Enforcement officer who allegedly struck a man with a vehicle during a pursuit outside Houston last weekend has been placed on administrative leave, the agency said.

The move is standard for all use-of-force incidents, according to an ICE spokesperson.

"This incident is under active internal investigation," the spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

On Saturday, Miguel Parra-Hernandez was hit by a car operated by an ICE agent during an arrest as the unidentified officer attempted to arrest him and another suspect, the agency said. Parra-Hernandez, who ICE alleged is undocumented, is currently in the hospital recovering from injuries to his legs, according to the Harris County District Attorney's office.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Parra-Hernandez broke his leg in three places and has undergone two surgeries.

Parra-Hernandez has not been charged by any law enforcement agency as of Thursday, according to the DA's office.

ICE said in a statement that that one of its officers was pursuing Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, a Mexican national who they allege had a criminal record and a final order of removal by a judge, and observed him get in a vehicle with Parra-Hernandez Saturday morning.

The ICE officer attempted a car stop, and Mendoza-Cervantes and Parra-Hernandez fled their vehicle on foot, according to ICE and the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Surveillance video of the incident reviewed by ABC News appears to show the ICE vehicle moving in the direction of a man running and then striking him.

An ICE spokesperson alleged in a statement that Parra-Hernandez "ran in front of an ICE vehicle" when he was hit.

"Allegations that ICE struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez intentionally are RECKLESS and FALSE. The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct," the spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

Mendoza-Cervantes remains at large as of Friday, according to ICE.

Teare, the DA, is currently probing the situation and told ABC News Wednesday that his office could possibly pursue criminal charges against the ICE officer.

The DA's office said two people were allegedly detained by the ICE agent prior to the incident and in the back seat of the ICE officer's vehicle when Parra-Hernandez was hit.

Teare told ABC News Thursday that his office was able to interview one of those witnesses before they were deported and that he believes the ICE officer intentionally struck Parra-Hernandez. 

"Thankfully, we were able to meet with him in custody yesterday, but we were the only individuals to even speak to him," the DA told ABC News.

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Immigrant advocacy groups representing migrant children have sued the Trump administration to stop what they call a "cruel and unlawful scheme" to fast-track migrant children's asylum cases.

In a complaint filed Thursday night, the groups allege that new government policies have transformed the asylum process for migrant children into a "deportation assembly line depriving them of their rights."

The lawsuit comes as immigration attorneys and advocates say unaccompanied migrant children are being rushed through the immigration system and that their deportations have been accelerated as part of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.

"A system that moves faster and that is by design made so that children are unable to access lawyers and are railroaded into deportation orders is not justice. It's assembly line deportation of the most vulnerable among us," said Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, during a press call.

The groups said unaccompanied children are facing rushed hearings, difficulty finding lawyers, and accelerated removal orders, including in cases involving alleged human trafficking and threats of violence.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

In the suit, the groups said that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has changed practices through a series of recent policy shifts that include reducing notice times for asylum interviews -- in some cases proving less than 24 hours' notice.

In the complaint, the groups also said that the Department of Justice has instructed immigration judges to complete all removal proceedings for detained unaccompanied children by Jan. 31, 2027. To meet the deadline, the groups allege that immigration judges are refusing to grant continuances of longer than three weeks.

"This push isn't coming from just one agency. It's a coordinated whole-of-government operation that abandons due process and child safety in service of faster removals," said Jason Boyd, vice president for federal policy at the advocacy group Kids in Need of Defense.

The suit comes two days after the Department of Homeland Security announced it was offering unaccompanied migrant children $3,000 to self-deport, a $500 increase over last year's incentive.

Earlier this month, the federal government quietly assembled a team of government attorneys to represent migrant children in court after the administration cut ties with a number of immigration advocacy groups that had previously provided those services.

Immigration advocacy groups have raised concerns about the initiative, arguing that the same government seeking to deport the minors should not be representing them in court.

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When human remains were found in suitcases abandoned by the side of a rural Wisconsin road, a community was left shocked and searching for answers.

The first responding officer opened one of the suitcases and discovered a woman's decomposing body -- naked, bound with rope and in a fetal position.

"Nothing can prepare you for what you can see upon opening a suitcase and finding a corpse inside of it," former Town of Geneva Patrol Officer Eric Anderson recalled.

A new "20/20" episode follows the investigation that spanned from Oregon to Minnesota and even involved the FBI. ABC News' John Quiñones reports for "The Suitcase Murders," airing Friday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

You can get more behind the scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts.

When Walworth County Sheriff's Office Detective Jeff Recknagel, now retired, arrived at the scene and opened the second suitcase, he found a black plastic bag with a woman's hand protruding out. Her fingernails were painted pink, and her body was bound with rope and appeared to be in a state of mummification.

Investigators found no identification at the scene, and extreme decomposition prevented them from obtaining DNA from the bodies.

"We had a tremendous amount of work in front of us to try to figure out -- first off, who the victims were, then to try to figure out how they had lost their lives, and then to try to figure out who was the person responsible for that," Recknagel told "20/20."

Police expanded their search beyond Wisconsin. They learned about another case in neighboring Minnesota, where a woman disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

Months before the suitcases were discovered in June 2014, Farmington Police Department Detective Sergeant Lee Hollatz was investigating the disappearance of 37-year-old Laura Simonson.

In November 2013, Simonson, who struggled with mental health issues following the death of her 13-year-old daughter Alyssa earlier that year, abandoned her van in her mother's driveway. Inside were her cell phone, purse, medication, and a note instructing her mother what to do with the vehicle and all her belongings.

Kristin Scouton, Simonson's childhood friend, said she grew concerned because Simonson, who had six other children, would never abandon her family.

"Her kids were her life," Scouton told "20/20." "She would've never just voluntarily left her children."

Detective Hollatz issued a statewide crime alert about Simonson's disappearance. In a stroke of luck, a front desk agent at a hotel about an hour's drive away, reported she recognized Simonson. She remembered that Simonson had stayed at the property several weeks prior with a man that she said made her feel uneasy.

"There's certain people you meet where the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. He was one of those," Kristi Bodunov told "20/20" correspondent John Quiñones.

Although surveillance video of Simonson and this man checking in was unavailable, a registration card with her signature confirmed that she had stayed at the hotel. Police were, however, able to obtain the checkout video that showed the man leaving alone.

As police worked to identify the unknown man, a friend informed detectives that Simonson was involved in an online BDSM dating community and had been communicating with someone with the username, "Mrhandcuffs."

Doing some digging of his own, the friend eventually made a critical discovery that he shared with police. He uncovered Mrhandcuffs' real identity: Steven Zelich.

When Hollatz looked into Zelich's background, he learned something unexpected: Zelich was a former police officer in the Milwaukee area. Hollatz recalled running over to another detective to share the news.

"I go, 'You will not believe this,'" he said. "I'm going, 'Now what am I getting myself into?'"

Zelich resigned in 2001 from the West Allis Police Department following multiple allegations that he had abused his authority to intimidate and harass women. He denied any wrongdoing.

Hollatz asked West Allis police to visit Zelich at his home. But when officers arrived, there were no signs of Simonson.

With promising leads hitting dead ends, the FBI and Wisconsin State Police joined the investigation. In March 2014, the two agencies interviewed Zelich -- he voluntarily provided a DNA sample, but denied ever meeting Simonson.

With no evidence of a crime or foul play, authorities could not move against Zelich, and the case stalled.

Several months later, the discovery of the two suitcases in Wisconsin would crack the case wide open.

Aware of the Simonson case in Minnesota, Wisconsin investigators identified one of the victims as Simonson, in part through a distinctive tattoo on her ankle featuring a heart and her daughter Alyssa's name.

DNA recovered from the rope wrapped around the second victim matched Zelich.

Zelich was brought in for questioning and ultimately arrested. He confessed to killing both women found in the suitcases, identifying the second victim as Jenny Gamez, a 19-year-old from Cottage Grove, Oregon.

He told investigators he met Gamez on the same online dating website where he later met Simonson. He claimed he accidentally strangled Gamez while engaging in "breath play," a sexual activity involving the restriction of breathing.

Zelich said he stored Gamez's body in his refrigerator for over a year before killing Simonson in Rochester, Minnesota, in a similar manner. Maintaining that Simonson's death was also accidental, he described placing her body in the trunk of his car and later moving Gamez there as well.

As the weather warmed, a co-worker mentioned smelling a strong odor coming from near Zelich's car. Zelich said he panicked and decided to dispose of the suitcases.

Ultimately, Zelich was charged with multiple counts of murder and hiding a corpse. He initially pleaded not guilty to all counts.

In 2016, Zelich pled guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Gamez and one count of hiding a corpse. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision.

The following year, he pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Simonson and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He also received an additional 10 years on two counts of hiding a corpse in Walworth County, Wisconsin.

While Zelich's convictions brought the case to a close, Simonson and Gamez's families continued to grapple with their loss.

"Anytime you lose somebody that's so close to you, like your sister, your life's never going to be the same," Gamez's foster sister Amanda Duron told "20/20." "There's always going to be that puzzle where there's always that one missing piece."

Simonson's sister, Niki Carlson, said she keeps her sister's memory close.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. I love her, and I miss her every day." Carlson told Quiñones. "I know they're all looking down on us trying to make sure we're safe."

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Three children and one teacher are dead after a shooter forced his way into an elementary school in Oregon on Thursday afternoon and opened fire, authorities said.

The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old, was fatally shot by a community member who saw the teen going into the Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told reporters at a news conference Thursday evening.

The three children who were killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old.

In addition, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to the hospital with critical injuries, police said.

Police have not publicly identified the suspected shooter saying only that he is a Bend resident. They have not said whether he attended the school or knew anyone at the school.

How the shooting unfolded

The incident began unfolding shortly before 1 p.m. PT Thursday.

At 12:59 p.m., police received a call from a driver who reported being shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun, the police chief said.

Shortly afterward, the Deschutes County dispatch center began receiving multiple 911 calls that a shooter had entered Silver Rail Elementary School.

Krantz said the initial investigation indicates the shooter "forced" his way inside the school by shooting at locked doors.

At 1:01 p.m., the school was directed to go into lockdown, Krantz said.

A minute later, officers arrived on the scene. An officer reported that the suspected shooter had been shot by a community member who had seen the teen entering the school, pursued him and engaged him, Krantz said.

Police have not yet released any information about the bystander who stopped the suspect, but said they would likely share additional information on Friday.

Bystander 'heroically intervened,' governor says

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek thanked teachers, staff and first responders who rushed to the scene and thanked the community member who she said "heroically intervened to stop further loss of life."

Following the shooting, police said they evacuated the school room by room. A reunification site for families was set up at a nearby church.

Classes, activities and athletic events at all Bend-La Pine Schools are canceled for Friday, school officials said.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook called the shooting an "unthinkable tragedy" and said, "We are heartbroken. We are horrified."

The shooting sparked a large police presence as law enforcement and first responders raced to the gym.

"Everything they were doing seemed highly trained and highly prepared for this," Caleb Weis, who was riding his motorcycle near the school at the time, told ABC News.

"I didn't see as many phones out recording as you see on many other occasions, just a kind of a shock factor and an immense amount of respect for the law enforcement, first responders," he said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was on the scene assisting in the investigation.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also en route to the school, according to a source. 

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said they are "stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy."

Classes, activities and athletic events at all Bend-La Pine Schools are canceled for Friday.

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Three police officers have resigned amid an investigation into alleged racist texts shared among a group of six officers at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) in North Carolina, the police chief announced during a press conference on Thursday.

“The allegations against them are serious,” CMPD Police Chief Estella Patterson said during a press conference on Thursday afternoon. “They're deeply troubling. And frankly, I'm disappointed that we're even having to talk about this today.”

Three additional officers are also embroiled in this controversy, and their actions are also being investigated, according to police. Patterson said on Thursday that she supports terminating the remaining three officers who remain on the force.

According to Patterson, the city of Charlotte’s Civil Service Board is reviewing evidence in this case and has the sole authority to determine whether sworn members of the department should be terminated.

The identity of the six officers involved in this case has not been released. Asked about the officers’ identities and the content of the text messages, the CMPD spokesperson did not provide further comment.

According to ABC affiliate in Charlotte, WSOC, the messages included the use of the n-word and were found during an investigation into Flock camera misuse by a former CMPD officer.

Patterson said that since launching the investigation, her department has worked to determine whether there were “external complaints” against the officers being investigated and has partnered with federal agencies to determine whether civil rights violations have occurred.

“We immediately conducted audits of their body-worn footage, we reviewed their traffic stops, their traffic stop data, we looked at their arrest records, and we looked to see if any of those officers had external complaints,” Patterson said on Thursday. “As of this point, we have not found any evidence of this, but I have asked our federal partners to look at the possibility of civil rights violations.”

Patterson said that her department will pursue revoking the North Carolina law enforcement certificates of the officers who resigned so that they cannot serve as law enforcement officers in the state of North Carolina.

“And I hope that they will not be an officer anywhere in this country,” she added.

Patterson said that she is “concerned whether this type of behavior is systemic” and said that her department is taking steps to ensure “proper conduct.” She also said that the state of North Carolina requires officers to participate in “ethics training.”

“My message to the community is that I have said from day one and coming in this position that we will hold employees accountable that are not doing their jobs properly, that operate outside the law, procedures, policies, or anything that's ethical or unethical within the organization,” Patterson said.

“While I have focused on the negative actions of a few, and we will hold any other employee to proper conduct, I want to underscore the point that the overwhelming majority of our employees do exceptional work every single day,” she added. “They come to work to serve this community, and they demonstrate that in their actions. They do their work with respect, with compassion, and professionalism.”

A spokesperson for CMPD told ABC News in a statement on Tuesday that the department “will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts our core values or jeopardizes the trust we have built with the community we serve.”

Rev. Corine Mack, who leads the Charlotte-Mecklenburg chapter of the NAACP, told ABC News on Tuesday that she was “not surprised” but was "disturbed" by the alleged conduct that is being investigated in this case. “I'm hoping that every one of the officers involved gets decertified, so they cannot go into another department and do further harm to people of color, specifically Black people,” she said.

ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.

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Michelle Parker vanished in 2011 after appearing in a pre-taped episode of the reality show "The People's Court" with her former fiance over a dispute about her engagement ring, according to police.

Nearly 15 years after the 33-year-old Florida mother of three was reported missing, Parker's ex-fiance has been arrested for her murder, police announced this week.

Dale Smith Jr., 55, was taken into custody at his business Wednesday on a charge of second-degree murder, Orlando police said.

"While Michelle has not yet been located, all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle's murder," Orlando police said.

Smith, who had previously been named a suspect in the case, was the last known person to see or hear from Parker after she dropped off their two children at his house in November 2011, according to police.

Over the past year, investigators "reexamined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advanced digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence," Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said during a press briefing Wednesday.

The police chief did not go into specific details on the investigation, saying he did not want to compromise the prosecution, though he credited advances in technology with helping lead to an arrest.

"The things we couldn't do 15 years ago that we can do now allowed us to close this case," the chief said.

Orlando Police Detective Phillip McMican told reporters that new evidence was found using advancements in digital forensics, including vehicles, electronic devices, phones and computers.

Regarding Smith's statements, the detective said that "very specific questions were asked of him numerous times over the years, where he gave different answers to those same questions."

Smith has entered a not guilty plea to the charge, according to a court filing.

He remains held without bond following his initial court appearance on Thursday.

During the hearing, his attorney, Rajan Joshi, had asked for bond, arguing that the allegations in the 46-page affidavit failed to meet the high standard to deny pretrial bond, while the state asked that he remain in custody.

The arrest warrant and affidavit in the case have been sealed.

Smith has maintained his innocence since Parker's disappearance, his attorney told ABC News.

"When he was originally questioned, when this initially happened, he was very cooperative with law enforcement. He let them search his house. He talked to them. He came in voluntarily without a lawyer, gave an interview," Joshi said. "It was clear that law enforcement was only looking at him as the sole suspect. That's when his friends urged him to get an attorney, and that's when he contacted me. This is 15 years ago."

Joshi said they are focused on filing a bond motion and working to get Smith released.

State Attorney Monique Worrell said during Wednesday's press briefing that the second-degree murder charge could be upgraded if supported by the evidence.

Parker was last seen on Nov. 17, 2011, when she dropped off their 3-year-old twins at Smith's house, police said. Her car was found the following day with the decal for her tanning business scraped off the window, and her cellphone was recovered from a lake south of Orlando, according to police.

She disappeared after an episode of "The People's Court" featuring her and Smith had aired, police said. Smith was seeking $5,000 over a lost engagement ring, saying in the episode that Parker had thrown the ring at him during an argument at an Atlanta hotel and it went over a balcony.

During the episode, the exes discussed their on-again, off-again relationship and contentious co-parenting situation for their twins. Parker, who had an older child from a prior relationship, described Smith as "pretty malicious and vindictive," saying, "He's a mean person, especially when he's been drinking."

The show's judge, Marilyn Milian, found both were at fault and that Parker owed Smith $2,500 for her half of the ring.

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Nine former FBI agents who investigated President Donald Trump and his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office following his first term filed suit against the FBI and Justice Department on Thursday alleging they were unlawfully terminated solely for their role in the probe.

The nine agents, who in the suit say they collectively count "over a century" of experience in the bureau on cases spanning from the Boston Marathon bombing to the first assassination attempt targeting President Trump, say they were all fired over the course of two days in February this year by FBI Director Kash Patel. 

"Plaintiffs were unlawfully terminated not for any cause or any legitimate reason, but only to satisfy the President's personal vendetta," said attorney Abbe Lowell in the lawsuit filed Thursday in D.C. District court. "The firings did not follow any internal investigation or disciplinary process within the FBI, and Plaintiffs were not given any notice, a hearing, or an opportunity to appeal."

The lawsuit, which seeks to have the agents' employment reinstated, points to public statements from Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche, who the agents claim smeared their character by defending the firings.

"For example, a month after Plaintiffs' unlawful firings, Blanche stated that the Administration had 'cleaned house' at the FBI by firing anyone associated with investigations relating to Trump, and that there 'isn't a single man or woman with a gun, federal agent, still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution of President Trump,'" the suit claims.

The agents also argue that the firings may have endangered active counterintelligence and terrorism cases that some of the agents were involved in when they were terminated. 

"As a result of their unlawful and hasty firings, Plaintiffs' investigations were not properly transferred to other FBI Special Agents or Analysts," the lawsuit says. "The impact of these heedless actions on America's national security is immeasurable." 

Each of the agents contend in the lawsuit that none volunteered for their assignment on the classified documents case against President Trump that resulted in his indictment on 42 counts of unlawfully retaining classified records after leaving the White House in 2021. Prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to retrieve them.

Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has long denied any wrongdoing, and the federal judge who oversaw the case ultimately dismissed it on the grounds that special counsel Jack Smith, who led the probe, was not lawfully appointed to his position. 

In a statement responding to ABC News' inquiry about the lawsuit, a DOJ spokesperson said the department "is committed to treating employees fairly and complying with the law, and will continue to defend the President's authority to support and defend the nation."

"Central to his Constitutional authority, the President is not required to delineate cause for federal employees who are removed," the spokesperson said. "To establish a standard of review would subject Presidential power to the whims of an outside agency or another branch of government, which is inappropriate."

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A meeting of Cornell University's faculty senate grew heated Wednesday as school president Michael Kotlikoff faced harsh questions about the Ivy League school's response to the alleged 2024 gang rape of a student at a fraternity house, according to an audio recording of the meeting.

Kotlikoff defended the school's recent measures -- including suspending fraternity parties and involving state police in the investigation of sexual assaults on campus -- but was repeatedly grilled by faculty members about the university's response. 

The meeting was the first of two at which the faculty senate will consider a no-confidence resolution to condemn the school's response to sexual violence on campus. A vote on the resolution is expected at the end of the month.

"This is a systemic problem that deserves systemic attention, and thus far, President Kotlikoff, it appears that you have simply reacted to pressure," Professor Risa Lieberwitz said at Wednesday's meeting, according to the recording. "It feels that the administration is considering more about how do we respond to pressure rather than the kind of leadership which should have been doing systemic work and prioritizing these issues all along."

"I understand that people feel like this is reactive," Kotlikoff responded. "I felt hearing about this, having much of this information come through for the first time, we ought to take some time." 

A then-undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe made a complaint to campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident occurred, that she had been raped by a group of men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She has filed a civil suit against the men and the university alleging that she had been drugged and raped.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting an investigation into the incident, and Cornell is also conducting an internal probe of its response to the allegations.

All seven fraternity brothers named in the civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

At Wednesday's meeting, faculty member Noah Tamarkin questioned Kotlikoff about why two of the students allegedly involved in the incident were still allowed to continue their education on campus.

"We've heard repeatedly from our students, both undergraduate and graduate, as well as our colleagues and other staff, that they don't feel safe with these men on campus," said Tamarkin. "Can you explain what is going on with this and speak directly to this problem of what a temporary suspension is meant to do if a student is found liable for rape?"

Kotlikoff defended the Title IX investigation that was launched following the alleged assault, and noted that Cornell, by law, could not release many of the details about the process. He also noted that those men were not found responsible for rape, according to the Title IX investigation. 

"That is due process in the way our process works," he said. "You may disagree with the outcome, I may disagree with the outcomes, but that is our process." 

Andrew Moisey, an associate professor, also raised concerns about the reputational harm that Cornell suffered because of the incident. 

"It feels like to me ... that Cornell's been in an abusive relationship with fraternities," he said.

"I really appreciate the sentiment of a lot of faculty and a lot of leadership of the university that has said to me, 'It's time for Greek life to go,'" Kotlikoff said. "I just think we have to all take a step and carefully study this issue. If, at the end of the day, fraternities cannot exist in a safe environment and we can't be convinced that they can be safe, then we should make that decision." 

Kotlikoff began his remarks by addressing the recent decision to suspend fraternity parties, arguing it was a necessary step to counter what he described as the Greek system's "monopoly of social activity for students."

"Much of the social activity occurs in private houses," Kotlikoff said. "We don't have full ability to be confident that what goes on in those houses is safe."

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Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, each pleaded not guilty Thursday to new charges accusing them of torturing people, including Americans, to help them cling to power.

Maduro, in a beige jail smock over a brown T-shirt and wearing glasses, greeted the audience with a wave and shook hands with his attorneys.

Asked how he pleaded to the charges contained in a superseding indictment, Maduro responded, "I reject this document in its entirety" and called the accusations of torture "false."

Maduro and his wife are scheduled to stand trial on June 14, 2027.

Federal prosecutors accused Maduro of conspiring with his wife to torture individuals who were held in Venezuelan prisons, according to a criminal indictment unsealed last week.

The indictment accused his government of torturing Americans because Maduro "assigned blame to the United States for the instability in Venezuela."

Federal prosecutors alleged Maduro "presided over this system of repression and torture" and his wife, Cilia Flores, is accused of helping him develop it.

"When Maduro became President of Venezuela in or about 2013, he authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, military detention, and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition," the indictment alleged.

Maduro was charged by superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and Flores was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one count of narcoterrorism.

Both previously pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges and maintained their innocence during their first court appearance in January, following their capture by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.

Maduro's lawyer argued in a court filing last month that the former president is immune from prosecution because he was the leader of a sovereign nation.

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The most recent inspection of Six Flags Over Georgia's Goliath roller coaster found no violations or deficiencies, the office responsible for the safety of amusement park rides in Georgia said Thursday, days after a man fatally fell from the ride.

"No violations, deficiencies, citations, or red tags were reported" during the March 16 inspection, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) in Georgia said in a statement.

ABC News has obtained the last three Goliath state inspection records, which confirm the ride passed inspection each year since 2024.

The Goliath roller coaster was taken out of service and "remains secured" amid the state's investigation into Monday's deadly incident, OCI said. Investigators and engineers are on site conducting an "in-depth examination of the ride, its operation, and records to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and whether all applicable state safety requirements were followed," OCI said.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said his department is conducting the investigation "with the urgency, diligence, and unwavering commitment to public safety that this tragedy demands."

"This is not an investigation in which we will cut corners, rush to conclusions, or leave questions unanswered without making every effort to resolve them," he said in a statement.

OCI said it will share its findings once the investigation is complete and "determine what further actions may be necessary under Georgia law."

The Goliath roller coaster will remain closed until the state's investigation is complete, OCI said, noting that it will "determine when, and under what conditions, the ride may be permitted to resume operation."

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, was found dead after being "ejected" from the ride Monday afternoon, according to the Cobb County Police Department.

"Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interviews indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction," the Cobb County Police Department, which is also investigating the incident, said in a statement Tuesday.

The victim was found on a building inside the park and had "sustained fatal injuries," according to a Cobb County Police incident report.

Four children were injured in the incident, police said. They were all transported by ambulance to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Cobb County Police said Wednesday, noting that no additional details are being released because they are minors.

Kariem was at the Six Flags park with several family members to celebrate his niece's birthday and was sitting beside his niece when he was ejected from the roller coaster, a relative told ABC News.

He worked for the Atlanta Public Schools and was a "cherished member" at Wesley International Academy, the school district said. He was the IT manager, a technology teacher and robotics coach at the school, where he had worked for over 12 years, Wesley International Academy said.

A Six Flags spokesperson said that the "park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation."

"We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today," the spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected."

The Goliath roller coaster reaches an elevation of 200 feet and speeds up to 70 mph, according to the amusement park's website. The ride first opened in 2006 at the amusement park, located west of Atlanta in Austell.

The Six Flags spokesperson said that "out of an abundance of caution," the theme park company has "temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks."

In addition to the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, nine similar hypercoasters in six theme parks across North America are temporarily closed.

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The FBI, U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating "multiple letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to various addresses nationwide, including multiple Congressional offices," according to a notice sent to Senate staff on Thursday and described to ABC News. 

Investigators didn't immediately disclose more details of the suspicious substances.

Federal law enforcement officers are working to intercept the letters, according to the notice.

The Senate Sargent at Arms warned in the notice that some letters could make it to congressional offices. 

The Senate Sargent at Arms recommended treating any suspicious letters with caution, and that suspicious letters contain multiple postage markings, according to the notice.

The Capitol Police referred ABC News to the FBI for comment. 

The FBI confirmed in a statement Thursday that it was working with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in a probe over "a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices."

Those mailings also "contained an unknown substance," according to the FBI.

"We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens," the FBI said in a statement. 

It is unclear whether these letters are connected to the letters recently sent to Secretaries of State's offices around the country.

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A 19-year-old Illinois man has been charged after an investigation into an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting that may have targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area, police said.

Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine was arrested Sunday after the Palatine Police Department received information from the Mount Prospect Police Department about a potential mass shooting, according to a statement from Palatine police.

The information came from an individual who reported receiving "concerning electronic communications" from Paporakis, police said.

Authorities said Paporakis had shared a document allegedly outlining a plan for a mass shooting, along with images depicting a rifle, rifle magazines, body armor and other tactical equipment.

Officers from the Palatine and Mount Prospect police departments coordinated a response and took Paporakis into custody as he was leaving his residence in Palatine on Sunday evening, police said.

Authorities said they recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of additional rounds of rifle ammunition, tactical equipment and other items during a search of his home after his arrest.

Investigators said that they also recovered a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.

In the days following his arrest, detectives reviewed electronic communications and examined a document attributed to Paporakis titled, "Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter's Manifesto)," which contained statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent, police said.

Based on information gathered during the investigation, detectives said they believe Paporakis may have been planning an attack on Oct. 11 that potentially targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area, though police said the specific intended location has not been confirmed and remained under investigation.

The Aurora Police Department was notified of the potential threat by Palatine and Mount Prospect police. Aurora police subsequently contacted Hindu places of worship in their jurisdiction to make them aware of the information, authorities said.

"The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated," Palatine Police Chief William Nord said in a statement, crediting the coordinated response by Palatine and Mount Prospect police with helping officers identify and take the suspect into custody. He also thanked the person who initially reported the information and the FBI for its assistance.

Paporakis has been charged with one count of making a terrorist threat, a class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a class 3 felony, police said.

Paporakis appeared at a detention hearing Wednesday at the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows, where a judge ordered him detained.

"The FBI aggressively works alongside our local and state law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle any threats of violence driven by radical ideologies," FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen said following the charging announcement by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

"Thanks to the swift action by the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, the subject was taken into custody without harm to our community," Whalen continued. "The FBI values these strong partnerships and will continue to use every law enforcement and prosecutorial resource available to bring any offender using fear or violence to justice."

Palatine police said that they are continuing to work closely with the FBI and that investigation remains active. Additionally, authorities have not identified any known ongoing threat to the public associated with this incident.

Paporakis’s next court appearance is set for Oct. 30 at 9 a.m. ET.

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The Cornell professor who introduced a no-confidence resolution condemning the school's leadership lambasted what he described as a "culture of fear" at the Ivy League school during Wednesday's faculty senate meeting, according to a copy of his remarks reviewed by ABC News. 

During the closed-door meeting, Paul Ortiz, a professor of labor history, criticized Cornell leadership for treating "rape as a 'PR problem,' rather than a heinous crime." 

"Most of the current and former students who have approached faculty to share their stories of being sexually assaulted at Cornell told have told us they were afraid to report these assaults because they felt that Cornell has often treated rape as a 'PR problem,' rather than a heinous crime," Ortiz said, according to the remarks. "This administration and previous administrations have created a climate or culture of fear that prevents many victims of sexual assault from coming forward to testify about being assaulted."

The meeting Wednesday comes a month after allegations of a "gang rape" at a campus fraternity shook the Ivy League school.

A then-undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe made a complaint to campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident occurred, that she had been raped by a group of men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Last month, she filed a civil suit against the men and the university alleging that she had been drugged and raped.

No criminal charges have been filed in the case, but an investigation by the New York attorney general is ongoing. All seven fraternity brothers named in the civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing.

Faculty senators inside the room on Wednesday described a "heated debate" over the resolution, though the bulk of speakers appeared in favor of the resolution. 

Ortiz argued that "many students do not come forward because they understand that their ordeals will not be treated seriously by Cornell," and urged his fellow faculty senators to hold the school's leadership responsible. 

"This administration has chronically failed to address these core issues at the bottom of the Jane Doe case as well as hundreds of other untold stories of sexual assault and trauma at this university. This is the primary rationale for this resolution," he said, according to the remarks. 

The one-sentence resolution being debated reads: "The Faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University."

The resolution itself does not call for specific action -- such as demanding resignations or forcing policy changes -- and instead offers a broad condemnation of the school's response. 

While Ortiz applauded recent changes announced by Cornell leadership to address sexual violence on campus, he argued that the changes were too little too late. 

"For years, faculty who have expertise in the issues at hand ranging from student disciplinary procedures to mental health have begged this administration to let us help with these issues. Instead, we have been stonewalled by Cornell's increasingly top-down leadership. That the administration waited until the day before they might be held accountable in the faculty senate meeting today is appalling," he said. 

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff addressed the faculty senate toward the beginning of the meeting to defend the school's recent measures addressing sexual assaults on campus. 

Ahead of the meeting Wednesday Kotlikoff announced additional measures to "strengthen campus safety, better support survivors, and begin addressing the social context of sexual violence at Cornell." 

The school vowed to add more staff to its Office of Civil Rights -- which conducts Title IX investigations -- as well as report allegations of sexual assault to the New York State Police during the school's review of its policies. 

Cornell also suspended all social events and parties held by fraternities while the school conducts a "review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue." 

In a video released earlier this month, Kotlikoff said the university "must do better" calling it a "defining moment" for the university and pledging to take "every step necessary to make Cornell an institution that leads not just in what we say about these issues, but in the work we do to address them."

Debate on the resolution is scheduled to continue during the faculty senate's next meeting on Oct 28. Voting will take place during the five days following that meeting. 

Cornell's faculty senate is a "governing body that supports faculty communication toward successful management of objectives for the University," according to the school. Academic titleholders at Cornell -- including professors, senior lecturers, librarians, archivists and others -- are eligible to be senators, who serve three-year terms. 

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Nearly a week after he was shot during an encounter with Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers in Manhattan, the man remains held at a detention center with the bullet still inside him, his attorneys alleged in a court filing Wednesday.

Oscar Belgal was shot Thursday in his car while his 5-year-old son was in the back seat, authorities said. Attorneys with the Legal Aid Society said in a habeas petition that the bullet is still "lodged in his neck" and he is only being given ibuprofen for the pain.

"With the bullet still lodged in his neck, the entire left side of Oscar's face remains numb. He struggles to hear anything out of his left ear, describing what he does hear as sounding as if it were far off in the distance," the petition said.

The 28-year-old Dominican national is allegedly being held in a segregated unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, as federal prosecutors seek to remove him from the country, according to the petition.

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting Belgal or transferring him outside of the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey. A different judge ordered a similar block on Belgal's deportation last week.

In his order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez is also asking the government to explain why it believes Belgal warrants mandatory detention despite recent rulings, including one by the same judge, that limits the government’s ability to detain someone without bond or consideration of their individual circumstances. 

Belgal's attorneys contended ICE agents arrested Belgal without a warrant.

ICE did not immediately comment on the latest court filing from Belgal's attorneys.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that Belgal, who they claim has "associations" with a gang and a criminal record, "weaponized his vehicle," when ICE agents tried to box him in with their vehicles during the arrest. Belgal denies having involvement with the gang and his attorneys say ICE has not provided any evidence?

Surveillance footage shows Belgal parked in his SUV when two officers in plainclothes approach him with guns drawn.

It is not immediately clear what the two armed men were saying to Belgal.

Belgal is seen reversing and then driving out of the parking spot as one of the armed men punches the driver's side window and breaks the glass. He is seen driving off.

In their petition, Belgal's attorneys provided more details about what they claim happened during that confrontation. They said their client had picked up his 5-year-old son from school Thursday afternoon and then took him to a McDonald's for an after-school snack.

When they arrived home, Belgal noticed he was parking in front of a hydrant and started to back up before pulling forward, the petition said. 

It was at that moment that a "masked man stormed" his driver-side window with his weapon drawn, and other masked agents surrounded the vehicle, the petition said. 

"[W]ithout identifying himself, the first man struck and shattered Oscar's window and began firing a pistol into Oscar's car while his son cowered in the back seat," the petition said.

The shooting sparked outrage from many New Yorkers and elected officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani who called on the federal government to remove ICE from the city.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pushed back against Mamdani during a news conference Friday and slammed the city's sanctuary cities policies.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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Authorities searched the Pennsylvania home of a family at the center of a double homicide at a Poconos resort as they tried to find a motive for why a woman allegedly killed her husband and 3-year-old son before trying to take her own life, according to court filings.

The "violent domestic tragedy" unfolded on Monday in a room at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pocono Township, officials said.

Police responding to a call for a suicidal caller found the two victims -- Charles Harrison and his son -- dead on mattresses, according to the criminal complaint. Harrison had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, while his son, identified in the complaint as T.H., appeared to have a single stab wound to his chest, according to the complaint.

The 911 caller -- identified in the complaint as 27-year-old Metallica Rose Harrison of Towanda -- was charged with two counts of homicide in connection with the deaths, according to the complaint.

On the 911 call, she allegedly reported that she was "too weak to stab my neck" and that she had knives but they were "not working" and needed "help dying," according to the complaint. When asked if she was alone, she allegedly said that "my husband and son are already gone in the bed," and, "They're already gone, I'm sorry."

A "large butcher kitchen knife" and a smaller knife were found in the bathroom, according to the complaint. Resort staff confirmed that the knives, which had teal handles, did not belong to the lodge, according to the complaint.

The family had been staying at the family resort since Sept. 21 and, after extending their stay, were slated to check out on Tuesday, according to the complaint.

Instead, officers responded to the family's home in Towanda that day searching for evidence that, according to the search warrant application, "may reveal valuable evidence relating to the motive for this incident as well as recover evidence connecting the knife used at the crime scene to other items" at the home.

"It is common for individuals in these scenarios to document their homicidal and suicidal ideation's via hand writings or electronics prior to, during and after the act has taken place," the application stated.

Officers were additionally seeking financial information and insight into why the family had left their home and had been staying at the resort for the past three weeks, according to the application.

Police ultimately seized nearly a dozen "teal knives" from the home, as well as a safe, a journal, a financial notebook, a laptop and other items, according to a court filing on the inventory.

Amid the investigation, the victims' family members described the suspect to police as "dominant" and "controlling" and that she had "isolated" them from the father and son, according to the search warrant application. One family member also claimed that Harrison was "resentful" toward her son because she "never wanted to get pregnant" and had made statements about the toddler "taking away one-on-one time between her and Charles," according to the application.

Harrison was denied bail during her arraignment on Tuesday, police said. She is in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 21. The online court docket does not list any attorney information for her at this time.

The Great Wolf Lodge said the resort was "cooperating fully with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation."

"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by a tragic domestic incident that occurred yesterday in a guest room at our resort in the Pocono Mountains," the company said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those affected."

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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A person of interest has been identified in an alleged sexual assault that took place at a fraternity near the University of Chicago, according to university officials.

"The individual is not a University of Chicago student or affiliated with the University. The University banned him from campus," the university wrote in a statement Tuesday.

At around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, a woman not affiliated with the university reported that she was sexually assaulted during a party at a fraternity house, according to the university.

An individual was interviewed about the assault, and the suspect fled the house, according to the university.

"The University's public notice about the report of sexual assault the day it happened encouraged others with knowledge of the events to help identify a suspect. This identification has been corroborated by key witness statements and video evidence from University cameras and license plate readers, all of which has been shared with CPD by the Department of Safety & Security," the university said in a statement.

Cameras in the area showed an individual fitting the description running from the house, according to the university.

The university said it would not release the name of the person of interest as the Chicago Police Department's investigation continues.

University police arranged for the alleged victim to be transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she received care and university police contacted the Chicago Police Department, the university said.

"This is deeply concerning for the University community. The safety and well-being of our students and all who come to our community is our highest priority. Many people at the University are working to support the victim and assist CPD in its response," the university said in a statement Sunday.

"While fraternities are not Recognized Student Organizations at UChicago and thus have no formal affiliation with the University, all University students are subject to University policies and disciplinary procedures. The University remains committed to addressing sexual misconduct cases that occur, to imposing disciplinary consequences as warranted, and to continually improving efforts to prevent sexual misconduct," the university said.

In a statement to ABC7 Chicago, Alpha Epsilon Pi Headquarters said it has been working with the chapter since it became aware of the incident and is cooperating with university administration and local law enforcement on its investigations.

The chapter has been told not to hold any events or programs while the investigation continues, according to ABC7.

"Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity unconditionally opposes, and its conditions of membership absolutely prohibit, any conduct considered as "sexual harassment" or "sexual assault." This includes such behaviors as repeated propositioning, coercive pressure, unwanted touching and physical violence," the fraternity said in a statement to ABC7.

The Chicago Police Department and Alpha Epsilon Pi did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

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Authorities in Las Vegas believe they have a positive ID for a body discovered inside a barrel after it floated to the surface of Lake Mead more than four years ago, according to officials familiar with the investigation.

At the time the body was found by boaters on May 1, 2022, officials said one thing was immediately clear: this was no accident. The body was an apparent homicide victim believed to have died of a gunshot wound around 40 to 50 years ago, the Clark County Coroner said at the time.

Officials identified the body as Edward "Buddy" Lelburian Jackson, who was believed to be in his mid-50s at the time of his death. 

They were able to take a bone sample and, through meticulous DNA profiling, finally found a family match earlier this year. 

The investigation is active and ongoing and authorities urge the public to come forward with any information.

The discovery garnered a flood of national attention as a macabre symbol of Sin City's dark history and mafia past.

Both the clothing on the body and manner of death fueled the belief that the killing was carried out by someone in the Vegas underworld, from an era when the Mob controlled America's desert playground.

The so-called "body in the barrel" was sent out for lengthy DNA testing, and Vegas law enforcement have maintained dogged optimism they'd one day figure out who it was. Investigators also found other clues inside the 55-gallon oil drum that contained the corpse: a watch, Kmart clothes and sneakers that put the time of the murder from around 1975 to 1985.

The body was one in a growing roster of human remains found at Lake Mead as water levels of the mammoth reservoir plummeted to historic lows due to prolonged drought -- exposing what once was hidden in its depths.

ABC News has chronicled the secrets of Lake Mead over the years and featured the mystery of the body in the barrel in a 2023 episode of "20/20."

"Somebody out there is sweating, because they know that we've got the body, we've got the evidence, and it's only a matter of time before we find out who it is. And once we find out who it is, it'll kick into high gear," Phil Ramos, a detective among those working on the homicide case, told "20/20" at the time.

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Cornell University’s faculty senate on Wednesday will begin deliberating a no-confidence resolution to condemn the school’s response to sexual violence on campus. 

One month after allegations of a “gang rape” at a campus fraternity shook the Ivy League school, the resolution, if adopted, could mark the clearest repudiation of Cornell’s leadership since the controversy began. 

“We're saying we have no confidence in how the administration has handled this. It is a crisis. It's a long-term systemic problem. Jane Doe's case is significant, but it is not nearly the only case like this,” Iris Packman, a faculty senator, told ABC News. 

Cornell University’s president and provost are scheduled to address the faculty senate and take questions before the debate begins, and the formal vote on the resolution is set to take place later this month. 

“What we are wanting is real effective leadership, not just reactive responses by the central administration,” said Professor Risa Lieberwitz, another member of the faculty senate. 

What does the resolution call for?

Cornell’s faculty senate is debating adopting a one-sentence resolution that reads, “The Faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.” 

“The key point to understand is that scores of students, staff, faculty and alumni have approached the sponsors of the resolution to emphasize to us that the Jane Doe case is but the tip of the iceberg,” Professor Paul Ortiz, the lead sponsor for the resolution, told ABC News via email. 

According to Packman, approximately 150 faculty members have signaled their support for the resolution, and the measure was co-sponsored by a dozen members of the faculty senate. For the resolution to pass, the measure would need support from a majority of the faculty senate. 

Cornell’s faculty senate is a “governing body that supports faculty communication toward successful management of objectives for the University,” according to the school. Academic titleholders at Cornell -- including professors, senior lecturers, librarians, archivists and others -- are eligible to be senators, who serve three-year terms. 

The resolution itself does not call for specific action -- such as demanding resignations or forcing policy changes -- and instead offers a broad condemnation of the school’s response. 

“I think it's important that we did not specifically call for [the] resignations of anybody. We are not saying XYZ administrators need to leave, but these ones are okay. We're saying we don't have confidence in the way that they are handling this, and we don't have confidence that they are going to effectively address it going forward,” said Packman, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution.

What is scheduled to take place on Wednesday?

The bulk of Wednesday’s meeting is centered on remarks and presentations from Cornell’s leadership, according to the meeting agenda. 

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and Provost Kavita Bala are scheduled to deliver remarks and answer questions before members of the school’s Sexual Assault Task Force address the group. Cornell’s director of sexual harassment and assault response is also set to address the senators before taking questions. The final 30 minutes of the 90-minute meeting is scheduled to begin debate of the resolution. 

Cornell’s dean of faculty is also set to address the body to read an “expressive activity statement.” Past faculty senate meetings have not begun with that kind of statement, according to Professor Lieberwitz, and the purpose and content of those remarks are not clear. 

Cornell finalized its “expressive activity policy” last year in the aftermath of campus protests. It allows the school to restrict speech if it “disrupts essential operations necessary for the teaching, research, patient care, or residential campus missions of the university.”

“A zealous commitment to freedom of expression does not mean that anyone can say anything they like, whenever and however they like,” the policy says. 

Packman argued that the statement may have a “chilling effect on faculty speech” by discouraging some speakers, particularly senators who do not have the protections afforded by tenure. 

“If we're having a statement read telling us what we can and can't say and how we can and can't say it before we even engage in that debate, that is a significant overstep and restriction on our speech,” she said. 

When is the vote scheduled to take place?

Deliberations over the resolution are set to take place on Wednesday, as well as a meeting on Oct. 28, according to the resolution. 

Voting on the resolution is scheduled to take place after the October 28 meeting and last for five days. The voting will take place online, according to organizers.

Will the meeting be recorded?

Cornell University is prohibiting photography or video recording of Wednesday's meeting. Only individuals with Cornell ID will be allowed to enter the auditorium where the meeting will take place. 

According to organizers, a recording of the meeting will be released by Cornell later this week. 

What measures did Cornell announce on Tuesday?

Wednesday’s meeting comes on the heels of an announcement by President Kotlikoff about measures to “strengthen campus safety, better support survivors, and begin addressing the social context of sexual violence at Cornell.” 

Cornell suspended all social events and parties held by fraternities while the school conducts a “review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.” 

The school also vowed to add more staff to its Office of Civil Rights -- which conducts Title IX investigations -- as well as report allegations of sexual assault to the New York State Police during the school’s review of its policies. 

“We are working with the New York State Police to allow their experienced, trauma-informed criminal investigators, who are independent of Cornell University, to investigate allegations of sexual assault on campus. These individuals will interview survivors who elect to pursue criminal charges and will prepare comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency,” the statement said. 

Kotlikoff also vowed to implement changes proposed by Cornell’s Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault, as well as “re-form and re-focus” that entity to examine “opportunities for safe and healthy social engagement and further ways to reduce risks.” 

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After a former student alleged she was gang raped at a fraternity house on campus in 2024, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff announced on Tuesday that all parties and social events at fraternity houses are suspended for the rest of year while the university considers whether fraternity life can continue at the Ivy League school.

The announcement comes as the faculty prepares to consider a vote of no confidence for the university administration.

In a statement announcing "measures to strengthen campus safety" Kotlikoff said that any fraternity that hosts an in-house party will receive an emergency suspension.

"These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue," Kotlikoff said.

A then-undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe made a complaint to campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident occurred, that she had been raped by a group of men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She has filed a civil suit against the men and the university alleging that she had been drugged and raped.

"I am deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered in 2024, and appalled that this act of sexual violence occurred within our Cornell community," Kotlikoff said Tuesday. "It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe. We must meet this moment by acknowledging where we have fallen short and taking meaningful action."

No criminal charges have been filed in the case, but an investigation by the New York attorney general is ongoing. All seven fraternity brothers named in the civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing.

Kotlikoff also announced that Cornell is adding to the number of staff members assigned to help individuals who report sexual misconduct, and is engaging the New York State Police to investigate sex assault allegations.

The university's faculty is expected to begin deliberating a resolution of no confidence Wednesday. A vote is expected later this month.

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