Attorney Claims Cornell Student Faces Threats After Reporting Alleged Assault

The former Cornell student who reported an alleged gang rape at a campus fraternity has faced a series of threats and doxxing attempts in the weeks since filing her lawsuit, her attorney told ABC News.

Attorney Thomas Giuffra stated that Jane Doe is concerned about the threats but is determined to continue the case, believing the national attention raises awareness about consent laws and offers a rare opportunity for accountability. "Jane Doe is fearless," Giuffra said. "She always was interested in trying to make things better for other women, so there's no more Jane Does."

Giuffra criticized what he described as an "incredible sequence of failures" by both university officials and law enforcement that led to the situation. He told ABC News that these failures have occurred at every level of the response to the allegations.

Cornell University stated on September 21 that it takes allegations of sexual violence "extremely seriously" and that it "investigated and adjudicated the allegations consistent with university policies." In a subsequent statement, the university said it conducted a "thorough" Title IX investigation and "issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell."

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff released a video statement on October 3, calling the incident a "defining moment" and pledging reforms to campus culture and university policies. The university also announced that an outside law firm would review its handling of the allegations and subsequent investigation.

Giuffra also criticized Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who initially declined to bring charges in 2024. Van Houten reopened the case on September 27 after speaking with Jane Doe and her lawyer following the filing of a civil suit. In an interview with ABC News after reopening the case, Van Houten defended his initial decision, stating that Doe clearly consented initially and there was no indication she withdrew that consent. He added that a crime would have occurred only if she had explicitly withdrawn consent and sexual activity had continued.

Last week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul removed Van Houten from the case and appointed State Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the criminal investigation.

Giuffra also pushed back against claims from attorneys representing the accused fraternity brothers, who have argued Doe consented or have distanced themselves from the allegations. He called their statements "self-serving" and contrary to witness accounts from the evening.

Giuffra defended his client's decision to secretly record some of the men involved, stating, "She wanted to process what was going on. Because she couldn't really wrap her head around it because she was traumatized."

He also questioned the fraternity brothers' claims of intoxication, citing a Snapchat group chat where they allegedly invited others to join and a message that appeared to say, "Boys come whip it out." Giuffra described this chat as a "smoking gun."

Jane Doe withdrew from Cornell following the incident, according to her attorney. The civil suit filed in the case lists several men, none of whom have yet responded in court, though each has denied wrongdoing to investigators, in public statements, or through their lawyers.