Cornell Students Rally For Jane Doe, Demand Probe Into University’s Gang-Rape Response

Hundreds of Cornell University students, faculty supporters and community activists marched across the campus on Monday in support of a student who alleges she was gang-raped by members of a fraternity, demanding an independent inquiry into the university’s handling of the case and stronger action against sexual violence.

The demonstration came after the student, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit accusing Cornell of failing to adequately investigate and punish fraternity members she says were involved in the alleged October 2024 assault. The case has triggered a wider public outcry over the university’s response, the decision by local prosecutors not to bring criminal charges and Cornell’s handling of sexual violence complaints on campus.

According to Reuters, protesters demanded an external inquiry into Cornell’s handling of the case, independent hearings and uniform minimum sanctions for sexual assaults. They also called for better training for campus police in responding to complaints of sexual violence and harassment.

Some demonstrators called for the resignation of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other members of his administration, accusing university policies of perpetuating what protesters described as a "culture of rape" on campus.

What Jane Doe Alleged In Her Lawsuit

Doe has alleged that she was plied with drugs and alcohol before being sexually assaulted by several members of the campus chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity after she became incapacitated.

She was 20 at the time. In a lawsuit filed last month, Doe named seven Chi Phi members as defendants, along with the fraternity chapter, a local bar, her own sorority and Cornell University.

She reported the alleged assault to police several weeks after it occurred, prompting an internal university investigation and a law enforcement probe. The local prosecutor, however, declined to bring criminal charges in the case.

Cornell has defended its response to the original report. The university shut down the Chi Phi chapter and imposed a range of disciplinary measures on the fraternity members involved, including expulsions and other sanctions.

The men have all denied wrongdoing.. Some said the sexual activity was consensual, while others disputed their participation, the New York Times has reported, citing Cornell documents.

Doe’s lawsuit criticised Cornell for offering some of the alleged perpetrators an opportunity to mitigate their penalties by writing essays. At Monday’s demonstration, protesters demanded that Cornell expel or revoke the degrees of any student found complicit in the alleged gang rape.

Students Demand Tougher Penalties

The demonstration included a march by several hundred students, faculty supporters and community activists through the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York. Reuters reported that the crowd may have numbered 1,000 or more.

Protesters chanted "One struggle, one fight" and "No justice, no peace" as they moved through campus before gathering in the central pedestrian plaza and spilling into adjacent spaces.

Many carried signs reading "Justice for Jane Doe", "We Stand for Survivors" and "Prison Sentences, not Topic Sentences."

The march ended at Cornell’s main administration building, which had been defaced in the early hours of Monday by unknown activists. They smashed two glass panes in the front door and spray-painted graffiti on the entryway, including the message: "AT CORNELL RAPISTS ARE PROTECTED."

The Cornell Daily Sun reported receiving a statement from the activists, who said the vandalism was an act of protest against the alleged assault and "global systems of power that allowed this to happen in the first place."

New York Steps Back Into The Case

The rally came days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to take over a newly reopened criminal investigation into the case.

Hochul made the appointment last Friday and said she was "deeply disturbed" by how local authorities had originally dealt with the allegations.

The rally also came a day after Doe and her lawyer said they had received multiple threats since filing the lawsuit. The case has prompted a public outcry, particularly on social media under the banner "#IamJaneDoe", over why law enforcement declined to pursue charges in 2024.

According to Reuters, the controversy has also fuelled a backlash from people who have questioned whether keeping Doe anonymous was fair, arguing that it denied those implicated in the case the chance to publicly face their accuser.

Addressing the controversy on Saturday, Kotlikoff promised in a video message to examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus.

"being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility."