Cornell Students Protest University's Handling of Sexual Violence Allegations
Demonstrators staged a sit-in and pledged to boycott campus spending, citing concerns over the university's response to sexual assault complaints.
Students at Cornell University staged a sit-in at a campus dining hall on Wednesday, vowing not to spend money on campus as part of their protest against the university's handling of sexual violence and related complaints. The demonstration is the latest expression of outrage following an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in October 2024.
A sign reading “Justice for Jane Doe,” the pseudonym used by the accuser in her lawsuit, was placed on an empty table in the dining hall. Some students occupied the space without eating, while others continued their meals. Another group gathered outside, holding signs that read “we are Jane Doe.” Organizers planned for the sit-in to last seven hours.
The protest aims to highlight concerns that the university is slow to respond to reports of sexual assault while prioritizing its reputation. Among their demands, the student groups are calling for the university to revise its disciplinary procedures for handling complaints and to expel or revoke the degrees of individuals involved in the alleged October 2024 sexual assault.
The accuser, a former student, alleges that members of the Chi Phi fraternity supplied her with alcohol and drugs before several individuals sexually assaulted her. According to a lawsuit filed last month, one man sent a message to others inviting them to participate in the assault. Lawyers for two of the accused men have denied their clients' involvement in a sexual assault, and attempts to reach the other named individuals or their representatives have been unsuccessful. Some men involved in a university disciplinary hearing in 2024 stated that the sexual activity was consensual or that they were not involved.
The accuser reported the incident to Cornell police in November 2024, but no criminal charges were filed at that time. Following the lawsuit, the state attorney general has initiated a renewed criminal investigation.
Cornell previously suspended the Chi Phi campus chapter in 2024. The university stated that it expelled some students and suspended others after an investigation conducted under the federal Title IX law.
This week, Cornell trustees appointed former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to review the university's procedures for investigating sexual assault and harassment, its disciplinary processes, and the campus police response.