If you count tuition, food, living costs, etc....it’s near $80,000 per year to attend Cornell. Seven years? That means this guy invested near $560,000 (minimum) in them. For some reason, I don’t think he’s going to just walk away and accept this denial of the degree.
He’ll lawyer up and for each year they waste fighting him....he’ll just add on more income lost. When he wins, you can figure one of two things happen. They will either refund all his money lost (figure $2 million with lawyer fees and income lost figured into it) or grant him the PhD with legal costs covered. If I were them, I’d go and clean up this mess real quick.
Granting the degree would get the harpies and harridans on Cornell’s case.