In September, a woman known as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Cornell University and seven men that she claimed sexually assaulted her on the night of Oct. 19th, 2024. Doe claims that she went to the Chi Phi Fraternity House alone to meet her friend, a member of the frat, and was already intoxicated upon her arrival. Doe alleges that he and another fraternity member pressured her into taking substances and then sexually assaulted her while she was “incapable of consent.”
The story caused speculation and fear across not just Cornell, but nearly all college campuses and beyond. Matt Witten ’26 says, “The atmosphere on campus is definitely tense, and there are a lot of different rumors floating around about what actually happened to the guys involved and how this will affect campus life.”
As Paideia high schoolers look to their future and think about college, this event is calling Greek life into consideration. “Seeing this side of frat life and seeing the harm it can cause makes me a little more scared for college and whether I will be protected there” says Zan Fooshee ’27.
According to screenshots of a Snapchat group chat, one of the fraternity members messaged the frat’s Snapchat, advertising “free pussy.” Allegedly, more fraternity members entered the room, and continued assaulting Jane Doe from 11:00 that night until at least 5:45 the next morning.
Doe reported the attack three months later. Doe clearly explained to police that she was sexually and physically assaulted. Cornell conducted an internal investigation on the matter. The frat was banned from campus, and two of the men were expelled from the University. Jane Doe left Cornell following the assault.
Criminal charges, however, were dropped by the district attorney following their initial investigation. Contrary to her statement to the university, Jane Doe told police that certain parts of the events were consensual and voluntary. This has sparked backlash on both sides, as some accuse Doe of lying. Others defend her, saying she was still processing the traumatic event when she made these statements.
