Cornell students stage anti-rape rally in support of Jane Doe
Hundreds of students, faculty supporters and activists marched through campus, demanding an independent inquiry into the university’s handling of the alleged 2024 gang rape and stronger action against sexual violence.
Throngs of CornellUniversity students rallied on Monday voicing solidarity with a classmate whosegang-rape allegations have ignited a national uproar and demanding that the IvyLeague school take firmer action against sexual violence on campus.
The protesters called for an external inquiry into how thematter has been handled by Cornell’s administration. The alleged gang-rapevictim, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, has said the university failed toadequately investigate and punish the campus fraternity members who wereinvolved.
Demonstrators also called for the resignation of CornellPresident Michael Kotlikoff and other members of his administration, sayingtheir policies have perpetuated what protesters called a “culture of rape” oncampus.
In a lawsuit filed last month, Jane Doe said she was pliedwith drugs and alcohol and then sexually assaulted by several members ofthe campus chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024 after she hadbecome incapacitated.
Doe, who was 20 at the time, named seven Chi Phi members asdefendants in the suit, along with the fraternity chapter, a local bar, her ownsorority, and the university.
She had reported the alleged assault to police several weeksafter the fact, leading to an internal university investigation and a lawenforcement probe, but the local prosecutor declined to bring criminal chargesin the case.
Cornell, which has defended its response to the originalreport, shut down the Chi Phi chapter and imposed a range of discipline on thefraternity members involved, including expulsions and other sanctions.
The men all denied any wrongdoing, some saying the sexualactivity was consensual and others disputing their participation, the New YorkTimes has reported, citing Cornell documents.
The lawsuit criticized the university for having offeredsome of the alleged perpetrators a chance to mitigate their penalties bywriting essays.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul last Friday appointed thestate’s attorney general, Letitia James, as a special prosecutor to take over anewly reopened criminal investigation, saying she was “deeply disturbed” by howlocal authorities originally dealt with the case.
Monday’s boisterous but orderly demonstration included amarch by several hundred students, faculty supporters and community activists —perhaps 1,000 or more — through the campus in the upstate New York townof Ithaca.
The protesters, chanting “One struggle, one fight” and “Nojustice, no peace,” filled Cornell’s Ho Plaza, the central pedestrian squareand gathering space on campus, and spilled over into adjacent areas. Manycarried signs with slogans such as “Justice for Jane Doe,” “We Stand forSurvivors” and “Prison Sentences, not Topic Sentences.”
The rally came a day after Doe andher lawyer said they had received multiple threats since filing the lawsuit,which has prompted a public outcry, particularly on social media under thebanner “#IamJaneDoe,” over why law enforcement declined to pursue charges in2024.
The uproar also stirred a backlash by others who havequestioned whether keeping Doe anonymous was fair because it deniedthose implicated in the matter the chance to publicly face their accuser.
Addressing the controversy on Saturday, Kotlikoff promisedin a video message to examine the role of fraternities and sororities oncampus, saying, “being part of a group can never diminish individualresponsibility.”