Extra Credit: Punishments at Cornell

October 5, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. Protests are planned to start at Cornell University today and are expected to continue this week. An administration building was defaced and a glass door smashed early this morning.

The school’s president called the inquiry into Jane Doe’s rape allegations a “defining moment” for the school. And Jane Doe’s lawyer said in an interview with NBC News that she was “not doing well.”

We have more about how Cornell disciplined the men accused of sexual assault in Jane Doe’s lawsuit. None of the men face criminal charges. All of them denied any wrongdoing. Read their accounts of the night here.

The school’s punishments

In university disciplinary records obtained by The Times, we found:

The school expelled two of the men. A university panel found one responsible for sexual assault, according to the records. Another, the files show, sent a Snapchat message to fraternity members encouraging them to enter the bedroom where Jane Doe was undressed. She also accused him of sexual assault.
The university suspended two of the men and put them on probation. One was suspended for two years and another for three semesters. Both were required not to contact Jane Doe. They were also required to study sexual harassment and to write reflection papers, according to disciplinary records.
One man, who had graduated by the time of the discipline panel’s ruling, faced a persona non grata order and was barred from campus for three years, according to the files.
Two others were accused of being part of the group of men who entered the room after reading a Snapchat message, the records show. The school ordered them not to contact Jane Doe; to study sexual harassment, social media use and bystander intervention; and to write reflection papers, the documents show.

Read the full story.

Over the weekend …

The campus was subdued, even as some students were still looking to cut loose.

“I think that it’s going to be a quieter year,” one senior, reflecting on the pause on Greek life this weekend, told my colleague Maia Coleman. “The vibe is different, at least for us. I would be very surprised if in a week, two weeks, three weeks, we were back to normal.”

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the Suncor Energy refinery in Commerce City, Colo. Mark Makela for The New York Times

1. It’s the first day of a new Supreme Court term. The first case is a landmark dispute about whether local governments can sue oil companies over damages caused by climate change. Follow our live coverage.

2. Democrats are leading governor races in Republican territory, according to new polls. They are in reach of flipping four Republican-held governorships in Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.

3. The U.S. rushed to withdraw bombers from a British air base. The withdrawal was highly unusual, and it came after new threats about an Iran-backed plot against the installation.

4. The Nobel Prizes are being announced this week. Three scientists were awarded the prize in physiology or medicine today for their discoveries in neuroscience.

5. Karoline Leavitt has a new gig. The former White House press secretary is joining Fox News as a contributor.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

A man wearing a blazer and pajama pants poses for a picture.

Who: Jayden Morfín, 20, mechanical engineering major at the University of Arkansas.

The details: I’m known for wearing pajama pants on the regular, and that day a group of resident assistants and I decided to dress formally for our staff meeting, just because (hence the sports jacket).

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

On campus

The American University of Afghanistan has lost its State Department funding, putting the education of hundreds of Afghan women at risk.
The Times’s publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, spoke with student journalists at Michigan State University. Read his interview with The State News.
Five fraternities at Indiana University were placed on cease and desist in September after allegations of hazing. (Indiana Daily Student)
The campus Wi-Fi at the University of South Carolina is reportedly bad. (The Daily Gamecock)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

A man sits in front of equipment in a recording studio.

In the recording studio. Matthew Defeo for The New York Times

Can you tell if this music is A.I. generated? My colleague spent days making a song to compare. (I preferred the song made by humans. How about you?) Read more about the experiment here.
Librarians are keeping communities together. We spoke to more than 50 of them about their jobs. I found their responses so moving.
What are the best TV shows? You let us know. More than 100,000 people told us their favorite shows of the century so far. See the full list. (And how well do you know them? Take our quiz.)

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

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And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

I love a jambon beurre. Mark Weinberg for The New York Times

Make this sandwich. You need only three ingredients: a baguette, butter and ham.

Tell the truth. Giving someone feedback can be a challenge, but it’s doable. Here are some tips.

Take our news quiz. How much did you keep up with the headlines last week? Test your knowledge.

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Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

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