Accuser in Cornell Fraternity Lawsuit Receives Death Threats
Messages threaten violence against the accuser and her family if she does not drop her lawsuit.
The accuser in a lawsuit against seven Cornell University fraternity members, identified as Jane Doe, has reported receiving death threats and menacing messages since publicly detailing her allegations. The threats, which include explicit vows to harm her and her family, demand she withdraw her lawsuit.
One message sent to Doe's phone stated, "Would you like to see [redacted]'s brains infront of [redacted]? If so, don’t withdraw the case. If you care about your family [redacted] withdraw the case." The sender claimed to be related to Jonathan Newell, one of the accused Chi Phi brothers, though their relationship was described inconsistently as both brother and cousin.
A three-minute voicemail obtained by The Post from the same individual further detailed the threats, naming Doe and people she knew while menacingly stating, "I’m probably just gonna like pull up to your house and like shoot … different people in your family. I don’t really care anymore. Now you’re pissing me off by ignoring me." The caller continued to press Doe about accusing his "innocent brother Jonathan."
Law enforcement was dispatched to Doe's home to investigate the threats. Her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, condemned the messages, stating, "Do people not have common decency anymore? It’s cowardly that these people cannot have civilized discourse." He emphasized the importance of using legal channels for dispute resolution and urged for a de-escalation of the situation.
Doe's lawsuit, filed in September, accuses seven Chi Phi brothers of gang rape. She alleges she was given alcohol and ketamine at the fraternity in October 2024. According to her lawsuit, after agreeing to a threesome with Newell and another brother, additional fraternity members entered the room while Doe was allegedly incapacitated and sexually assaulted her. She initially described the encounter as consensual but later reported it as rape after friends suggested she might have been sexually assaulted.
Local prosecutors initially declined to press charges, citing Doe's voluntary consumption of drugs and alcohol. However, two of the accused brothers, including Newell, were found responsible for sexual assault by an internal Cornell investigation and subsequently expelled. The filing of the lawsuit, particularly after Doe obtained alleged text messages referring to "free p--sy," prompted prosecutors to reopen the case.
The lawsuit names the seven brothers and Cornell University. Doe's allegations and the subsequent threats have drawn national attention to the handling of sexual assault cases on college campuses.