Cornell Students Stage Sit-in to Protest University's Handling of Alleged 2024 Gang Rape

Cornell students held a sit-in at a dining hall on Wednesday to protest sexual violence and the university's response to complaints, following an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in 2024. A handwritten sign reading 'Justice for Jane Doe' was placed on an empty table, and some students sat without eating while others held signs outside declaring 'we are Jane Doe.' The demonstration was planned to last for seven hours. Students are angry that they feel the university takes too long to handle sexual assault reports and acts quickly to protect its own reputation. The groups involved want Cornell to change its disciplinary rules and to expel or revoke the degrees of anyone tied to the October 2024 assault. The accuser, who is suing under the name Jane Doe and was a student at the time, states that members of the Chi Phi fraternity gave her alcohol and drugs before several men sexually assaulted her. Her lawsuit, filed last month against Cornell, the fraternity, seven Chi Phi brothers, and others, mentions that one man messaged others to join. Lawyers for two of the men deny any participation, and attempts to reach the others were unsuccessful. During 2024 university hearings, some men told investigators the activity was consensual or that they were not involved. Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell police in November 2024, but no criminal charges came from it. The state attorney general is now running a renewed criminal investigation because of her lawsuit. Cornell shut down the Chi Phi chapter in 2024, stating it expelled some students and suspended others after a Title IX investigation. Additionally, Cornell trustees hired former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates this week to review how the school handles sexual assault investigations, harassment complaints, and campus police responses.

Context

Title IX is a U.S. federal law that protects people from sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding, which includes how schools handle sexual assault and harassment complaints. Campus protests over sexual violence often put pressure on university leaders to change safety rules and disciplinary processes. Independent reviews by outside legal experts are sometimes used by institutions to examine past actions and rebuild trust after major controversies.