Cornell University became the scene of large protests Monday as students, faculty and community members voiced anger over the school’s response to a former student’s allegation that she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court filings, alleged in a civil lawsuit filed last month that members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her in October 2024.
The demonstrations followed the release of additional details about the Cornell University Police Department’s handling of the allegations. More than 20 student organizations joined Monday’s “Justice for Survivors” protest.
Among the crowd was a protester holding a sign that read, “We are all Jane Doe.”
Other signs carried messages including “Alcohol is not consent” and “Support survivors, listen to students,” the New York Post reports.
Protesters urged Cornell administrators to accept responsibility, provide greater transparency and overhaul the university’s sexual assault policies and training programs, according to Spectrum Local News.
Several speakers called for fraternities to be removed from campus, while others demanded the resignation of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff.
Some participants also said former students accused in the case should have their degrees revoked, while those still enrolled should be expelled if found responsible.
Teachers, students and community members gathered at Cornell University Monday to protest the school’s response to a 2024 sexual assault investigation
More than 1,000 students took part in Monday’s rally, demanding accountability, transparency and changes to Cornell’s sexual assault policies and training
More than 20 student organizations helped organize the Justice for Survivors rally
In her lawsuit, Jane Doe said she arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024, after drinking heavily during a night out in Ithaca.
She alleges that fraternity members pressured her to take ketamine and provided marijuana and high-proof alcohol before she was repeatedly sexually assaulted as other members entered the room.
The complaint claims that seven men ultimately took part and that Doe became “completely incapacitated.” According to the filing, the alleged assault continued until approximately 5:45 a.m., when she lost consciousness.
The lawsuit further alleges that, during the incident, one fraternity member posted in a “Chi Phi Actives” Snapchat group that there was “free p***y” upstairs, allegedly referring to Doe.
Another member allegedly replied, “Like you can walk in and whip it out,” according to a screenshot cited in the court filing.
Doe reported the allegations to Cornell University Police on November 8, after friends encouraged her to come forward, the lawsuit states.
No one accused in the case was criminally charged, and Cornell expelled two students following the incident.
Attorneys representing two former students denied that their clients took part in a sexual assault. Court records indicate that some of the accused students told Cornell investigators the sexual activity was consensual.
A woman holds a sign in support of Jane Doe during the Cornell University protest
The protesters condemned the school for only expelling two of the alleged rapists
Some students are pictured at the protest on campus on Monday
‘I can’t even imagine the trauma she went through,’ Jonathan Lam, co-president of the school’s American Civil Liberties Union, told Spectrum Local News during the protest on Monday.
‘When we heard about it, you know, it was very disturbing,’ he said of the allegations. ‘There was a lot of frustration from the student body in terms of like, how this could happen.’
Lam then argued that Jane Doe was failed by the university during its initial 2024 investigation.
‘We’re supposed to have systems in place that could have been there for her, that could have been there for her, that could have supported her, and that just wasn’t being used.’
Further protests are now scheduled for Wednesday, when students will skip classes for seven hours – symbolizing the amount of time that Jane Doe was allegedly raped.
But not all of the protests have been peaceful.
The protesters demanded that university officials take action as more details about the alleged rape investigation are revealed
Some protesters called for the school to expel the alleged rapists that are still on campus
Ahead of the Justice for Survivors protest on Monday, anonymous activists smashed the glass door and painted messages on the walls of a building on campus.
The graffiti, which has since been cleaned up, read: ‘At Cornell, rapists are protected… protestors are expelled.’ It was an apparent reference to the school’s decision to suspend 15 students for reportedly protesting the conflict in Gaza in 2024 while sanctioning the students named by Jane Doe.
The perpetrators of Monday morning’s graffiti have since told the Cornell Daily Sun their actions were motivated by both Jane Doe’s lawsuit and ‘in protest of the global systems of power that allowed this to happen in the first place.’
‘We wanted to ensure that Day Hall, the center of Cornell’s administrative function, was not able to continue business as usual,’ the anonymous activists said.
When they were then asked about their goals for the demonstration, they said they were calling for the ‘abolition of [Interfraternity Council] Greek life on campus, resignation or termination of the named administration officials, the replacement of Cornell’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards with a democratic disciplinary system and expulsion/revocation of degrees for all Chi Phi members involved in the rape.’
The demonstrators went on to argue the alleged rape was a product of ‘morally corrupt systems’ at Cornell and around the world that have ‘historically punished women for speaking out about sexual violence.’
Anonymous activists smashed the glass door and painted messages on the walls of a building on campus
The activists also defended their actions as nonviolent.
‘We reject the dogma that would condemn our actions this morning as violent while excusing rape,’ they said in a statement. ‘Property damage is not violent; condoning rape is.’
But Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball said in a statement that ‘damaging property is not the answer’ to Cornellians’ ‘frustration and strong emotions.’
‘We understand the frustration and strong emotions being expressed across our community. Those concerns deserve to be heard, but damaging property is not the answer,’ he said.
‘We are investigating the vandalism at Day Hall and will address it in accordance with University policy and applicable law.’
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday that the administration welcomed an investigation into the university’s handling of the 2024 alleged rape case
University officials have previously said they would undertake an independent investigation into its handling of the matter.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the case – a decision University President Kotlikoff applauded as he announced that administrators will support legislative efforts to strengthen laws on sexual assault and intoxication.
He called the days following the lawsuit ‘one of the most difficult weeks’ in Cornell history, adding that he acknowledged students were ‘angry, sad and struggling.’
‘What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,’ the president continued.
‘My heart aches when I think of what she experienced. It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.’
‘We must do everything we can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe, and everyone before her, and anyone after her, from ever happening again.’
Kotlikoff also promised to improve campus culture and ensure students understand consent moving forward.
He added that campus administration would make a ‘greater effort’ to be transparent with students.
Kotlikoff said there will be announcements in the coming weeks for broader conversations, including the role that Greek life plays on campus.
The president concluded that Cornell was ‘listening, learning and committed to communicating more openly.’
‘This is a defining moment in Cornell’s history. We must lead the way. We owe it to Jane Doe and to survivors of assault to get this right, and we must keep each other safe,’ he said.