Cornell University faces backlash following lawsuit over neglected rape allegations

By: Katie Dusza, Managing Editor

Cornell University is under fire following the reopening of an investigation regarding a 2024 sexual assault incident at the Phi Chi fraternity house, and the university’s handling of it. The victim, referred to as Jane Doe, said she was sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The reopening of this case has sparked nationwide conversation about sexual assault and the institutional handling of it on college campuses. 

Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against the seven men, the university, her sorority and the fraternity. The victim alleges that she was given copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, then raped by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. According to the lawsuit, one of the Chi Phi members sent a message to the fraternity’s Snapchat group chat saying that there was a woman upstairs available for sex. The woman alleges that the assaults took place over the course of several hours. 

Some of the men involved were either expelled or suspended; however, Jane Doe said that when she reported the assault to the Cornell University Police Department, no criminal charges were ever filed by the prosecutors involved.

Tompkins County district attorney Matthew Van Houten made a statement on Monday saying that he was reopening the investigation to be tried by a grand jury. In his statement, he stated, “Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped.” However, Van Houten recognizes with the reopening of the case that, “the process of healing from trauma is personal and different for every human.” Van Houten added, “Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence.” 

On the other hand, Thomas Giuffra, Jane Doe’s lawyer, says that the content of his client’s original statement wasn’t different from the current lawsuit, and that law enforcement failed to follow up on her allegations. In a statement to CBS, Giuffra noted, “Once she was emotionally ready, she went to the university police and bravely shared what had occurred to her.” 

On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General, Letitia James, to serve as the special prosecutor to the case. Hochul emphasised her concerns for how Tompkins County law enforcement handled the case, stating, “new information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County D.A.’s ability to fairly oversee it.” She added, “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”

This case has sparked conversation about the recurring issue of sexual assault accusations and failures to handle them adequately. The Cornell Daily Sun released an editorial last Monday, naming each of the accused men and calling out Cornell’s poor handling of the incident after claiming to value student safety. The editorial pointed out the fact that Jane Doe eventually left Cornell due to her trauma from the event. However, most of the alleged offenders walked free and finished their education after their punishments.