On Balance with Leland Vittert
Oct 4, 2026 · 41 min · 11 segments
On this episode of "On Balance," Leland Vittert examines new developments in the Cornell University fraternity rape case. Dr. Judith Joseph and Lauren Wright offer their analysis and perspective on…
Leland VittertHostJudith JosephGuestZach LahnGuest
Batya Ungar-SargonGuestLauren WrightGuest
Chris SweckerGuestArik AradGuest
But even if we take the most basic view of what happened, the facts that are not in dispute, a young woman showed up at a fraternity house drunk.
There were young men who sent text messages saying there was an available woman upstairs to have relations with.
Something I learned a long time ago, people do not get caught on their first time.
This is not new behavior probably at this fraternity house or at college campuses around the country.
Somehow, these young men thought it was okay to text their buddies there was free bleep upstairs.
how did they think this was remotely okay? At the same time, how did women decide they wanted to be part of this type of behavior? At one point, and we have the text messages here, you can see a woman, the alleged victim, the victim wrote, at the end of the day, none of the sexual stuff was illegal, and honestly, I really liked being with you and Matt, meaning the other man.
I just said the victim because the woman is a victim and the men are victims too.
All victims of a society that has badly failed young men and women that somehow want to engage in this behavior.
In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her?
New York Attorney General Tish James posted this on Facebook about the case three days ago.
But today, Tish James refused to answer any questions about her own Facebook post and now promised to follow the evidence.
We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and if warranted, pursue prosecutions.
Well, sounds like these young men are now victims twice, victims of a system that's already made up its mind, a system that already failed them.
Victims of a society they have been taught women might like this kind of behavior.
The right likes to compare this to UVA or the Duke Lacrosse cases, both of which were actual hoax.
But even if we take the most basic view of what happened, the facts that are not in dispute, a young woman showed up at a fraternity house drunk.
There were young men who sent text messages saying there was an available woman upstairs to have relations with.
Something I learned a long time ago, people do not get caught on their first time.
This is not new behavior probably at this fraternity house or at college campuses around the country.
Somehow, these young men thought it was okay to text their buddies there was free bleep upstairs.
how did they think this was remotely okay? At the same time, how did women decide they wanted to be part of this type of behavior? At one point, and we have the text messages here, you can see a woman, the alleged victim, the victim wrote, at the end of the day, none of the sexual stuff was illegal, and honestly, I really liked being with you and Matt, meaning the other man.
I just said the victim because the woman is a victim and the men are victims too.
All victims of a society that has badly failed young men and women that somehow want to engage in this behavior.
In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her?
New York Attorney General Tish James posted this on Facebook about the case three days ago.
But today, Tish James refused to answer any questions about her own Facebook post and now promised to follow the evidence.
We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and if warranted, pursue prosecutions.
Well, sounds like these young men are now victims twice, victims of a system that's already made up its mind, a system that already failed them.
Victims of a society they have been taught women might like this kind of behavior.
The right likes to compare this to UVA or the Duke Lacrosse cases, both of which were actual hoax.
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