Summary of On Cornell – How to Protect Your Child When Their College Won’t – with Nicole Bedera

Overview of On Cornell – How to Protect Your Child When Their College Won’t with Nicole Bedera

This episode argues that campus sexual assault is not an exception to the system—it is the predictable result of how American universities handle sexual violence. Glennon Doyle and guest Nicole Bedera break down how Title IX processes often function as an internal “catch and kill” mechanism: reports are minimized, investigations are rare, findings stay private, and survivors frequently lose access to their education while perpetrators remain on campus. The conversation uses the Cornell and LSU cases as examples of a broader pattern, then shifts into highly practical advice for survivors and parents navigating campus sexual assault.

Core Argument: Title IX Is Built to Protect the Institution

The episode’s central claim is that Title IX is not merely imperfect—it has an inherent conflict of interest.

Why the system fails

• The university controls nearly every part of the process:
  • Title IX staff
  • investigators
  • campus police
  • advocates
  • sanctions
  • housing and campus access
• Because the university is the one at risk of lawsuits, bad press, donor loss, and federal scrutiny, it has strong incentives to contain allegations rather than expose them.
• Bedera argues that this is not just “bad implementation”—it is the logical outcome of an internally controlled system.

“Catch and kill” analogy

• The hosts compare Title IX to media catch-and-kill tactics:
  • a damaging story is received
  • then buried or controlled
  • so it never becomes public
• In this framing, the university “catches” the report and “kills” it by keeping it internal, opaque, and unresolved.

The Numbers: How Rare Accountability Really Is

The episode emphasizes that the common public response to Cornell and LSU should not be “shock,” but recognition of how ordinary these outcomes are.

Statistics shared

• Roughly 1 in 4 undergraduate women experience sexual assault in college.
• About 7% of campus sexual assaults are reported to school officials.
• Of those reported, only about 5% result in a formal finding of responsibility.
• Of those cases with a finding:
  • most perpetrators receive minimal consequences
  • only about 10% are expelled

The takeaway

• The cases made national news not because they were unusual, but because the survivors managed to push them outside the Title IX system into public view.

What Happened at Cornell and LSU

Cornell / Jane Doe

• Cornell investigated Jane Doe’s report in unusual detail:
  • roughly 50 interviews
  • 32 witnesses
  • 12-day disciplinary hearings
• Cornell found sexual assault occurred.
• Two men were expelled; other accused students received suspensions, probation, no-contact orders, or lesser sanctions.
• The fraternity where the assault occurred was shut down.
• Jane Doe, according to her attorney, wanted to leave campus and heal, but Cornell allegedly refused to refund her tuition.

LSU / Kendall Francis

• LSU found football player Damian Shanklin responsible for conduct classified as sexual assault / forcible rape.
• Initial sanction: a two-semester suspension.
• On appeal, the punishment was reduced to four semesters of disciplinary probation with no restrictions.
• Shanklin could remain on campus and continue playing football.
• Francis said the aftermath caused severe anxiety and depression and forced her to switch to online classes out of fear of encountering him.

What Usually Happens Instead

Even when a university substantiates sexual assault, the survivor often loses access to campus.

Common outcome for survivors

• National data cited in the episode says 57% of survivors who file formal Title IX complaints:
  • drop out
  • transfer
  • or take a leave of absence
• The episode stresses that universities often preserve the perpetrator’s access while the survivor is the one forced to move, hide, or leave.

Broader implication

• Sexual assault becomes a direct barrier to education.
• The show points to research suggesting the strongest predictor of a college woman’s GPA may be whether she has experienced sexual assault.

Inside the Title IX System: Nicole Bedera’s Research

Bedera describes what happens after a student says, “I was raped.”

The most important hidden distinction

• A report is not the same as a complaint
• At many schools, a report:
  • goes nowhere
  • may only trigger a bland email with resources
  • does not automatically start an investigation
• A complaint is what initiates a formal process.

Common failure points

• Students often don’t know the difference.
• Universities may intentionally keep the distinction vague.
• Many reports are never escalated to complaints.
• Some schools rely on forms and language that make it seem like a report means action, when it often does not.

Mandatory reporting

• Bedera argues mandatory reporting policies can be harmful:
  • they reduce survivor control
  • make people feel surveilled
  • can discourage students from seeking help from professors or staff
• In practice, mandatory reporting often focuses attention on survivors rather than perpetrators.

Informal Resolution Is Often a Dead End

The episode spends significant time on so-called informal resolutions.

What they are

• Also called alternative resolution or mediation at some schools.
• Supposedly voluntary.
• Can’t be punitive.

Why they often fail survivors

• Perpetrators can simply refuse.
• Universities define “punitive” so broadly that even small inconveniences may be disallowed.
• Survivors may be told to “shoot for the stars,” but then find that nearly every meaningful request is deemed too harsh.
• In practice, informal resolution often produces:
  • no real accountability
  • no meaningful safety changes
  • a paper trail that lets the school claim it tried

Why schools like it

• It allows the university to appear responsive without disciplining the perpetrator.
• It can be used as a risk-management tactic: the school can say the survivor chose it.

The Practical Advice: What Survivors and Parents Should Do

A major part of the episode is a practical guide for someone who has just experienced sexual assault on campus.

If a parent gets the call

• First response:
  • stay calm
  • say: “This is not your fault.”
  • tell your child: “I am here with you, and I will follow your lead.”
• Do not immediately take over their decision-making.
• Avoid reacting with blame, panic, or forcing them to report.

What survivors may need

• Therapy
• academic accommodations
• time
• privacy
• support from someone who understands the system

What to ask for

• If the survivor wants an investigation:
  • say clearly: “I want to file a complaint.”
• Don’t just say “report”; at many schools, that may do nothing.
• Ask for the complaint form and the school’s sexual misconduct policy.
• Use the school’s own definitions and language when possible.

Where to go first

• Best first stop: a confidential victim advocacy office
• These advocates can:
  • explain options
  • help with academic accommodations
  • help draft or understand complaint language
  • support survivors without forcing a report

What not to do first

• Don’t start by talking to offices that will trigger automatic reporting if the survivor is not ready.
• Don’t assume the Title IX office will explain all options honestly or fully.

Academic accommodations

• Survivors should be able to request accommodations without reporting.
• Bedera recommends asking for:
  • extensions
  • excused absences
  • help communicating with professors
• A good advocate can help request these without exposing the survivor to the full Title IX process.

How to Assess a College’s Culture Before Enrolling

The episode argues that parents and students should look beyond whether a school “has a Title IX office.”

Better questions to ask

• How many victim advocates do you have?
• Are they confidential?
• What is the school’s mandatory reporting policy?
• Is there a well-resourced victim advocacy office?
• Does the school have:
  • a women’s center?
  • a gender studies program?
  • an LGBTQ center?
• What kinds of prevention work does the school actually do?
• What is the budget for victim advocacy versus symbolic prevention programs?

What these answers reveal

• Whether the school values survivor support or just performs compliance.
• Whether the campus has meaningful structures for women and marginalized students.
• Whether the institution is likely to prioritize safety or reputation.

Why Bedera Is Hopeful

Despite the bleakness of the system, Bedera insists campus sexual violence is solvable.

Her main optimism

• This is not a complicated problem.
• The issue is not lack of knowledge—it is lack of institutional will.
• Schools could reduce violence dramatically if they:
  • held perpetrators accountable
  • stopped tolerating misogynistic networks
  • supported survivors immediately
  • made reporting and accommodations transparent and accessible

Key sociological insight

• Violence is shaped by environment.
• Breaking up misogynistic peer networks, especially fraternities and boys’ clubs, can reduce violence.
• The episode previews a follow-up conversation with sociologist Kate Manne about fraternities and male status networks.

Bottom Line

The episode argues that:

• campus sexual assault is common, not exceptional
• Title IX often functions to contain harm, not resolve it
• survivors should not be expected to carry the burden of fixing the system
• parents and students need confidential, informed, survivor-centered support
• real change requires institutions to stop protecting themselves and start protecting students

If you want, I can also turn this into a shorter executive summary or a bullet-point “action items for parents/students” version.