A woman who has accused seven men of raping her at Cornell University in 2024 alleges that the school's healthcare system failed to adequately address her concerns following the assault, according to her lawyer.
Jane Doe, as she is identified in court documents, told a university doctor two days after the alleged assault that she had contracted a urinary tract infection "in a traumatic way," but received no substantial follow-up, the New York Times reported. Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, stated that this interaction represented "yet another failure by Cornell."
Following the visit to the university doctor, Doe was advised to seek therapy, according to documents from the university's investigation. Giuffra contends that the medical professional should have pursued further inquiries, including a rape kit and a physical examination to document injuries, and consulted medical professionals experienced in handling sexual assault cases. Instead, he said, Doe was only told to "speak with somebody."
Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell in September, alleging she was drugged and raped by multiple individuals at a fraternity house. She also claims the university failed to protect her and inadequately punish those involved.
The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office initially received the case in 2024. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated at the time that charges were not brought because the initial statement from Doe suggested the incident was consensual and she had not been drugged. However, the office announced it would reopen the case less than two weeks after Doe filed her civil lawsuit.
Cornell has stated it provided its investigative findings, including a Snapchat group chat where fraternity members discussed a sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault, to the district attorney's office. Giuffra criticized the district attorney's shifting explanations regarding the evidence he received.
Van Houten told the BBC that while he had received a statement from Doe and Snapchat messages, he had not initially reviewed the full 120-page transcript of a Title IX investigator's interview with Doe, which included participation from a victim's advocate, a counselor, and one of Doe's attorneys. He stated that the complete transcript, which he has since obtained, confirms Doe's sworn statement and that his office remains committed to uncovering the truth.
The university's Title IX review documents provide a detailed timeline of the three weeks following the alleged assault. The morning after the incident, Doe reportedly told her roommates she had taken drugs and had sex with multiple men, though she did not initially use the terms "rape" or "assault." A roommate described Doe as appearing "in shock" and not fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
Text messages included in the university's review show one of the accused men apologizing to Doe for the events of that night, acknowledging that he and others were too intoxicated to prevent the situation from escalating. Later, on November 3, Doe texted the same man stating that "90% of what happened that night was not consensual" and that she had been given more ketamine than she could recall.
Doe went to receive a rape kit three weeks after the alleged assault, on November 7. Her lawyer indicated that no DNA evidence was recovered and suggested that evidence might have been found had the kit been administered earlier, such as during her visit to the university doctor.
Giuffra characterized Doe's reactions and processing of the events as "a textbook reaction to trauma," moving from denial and shame to an acceptance that she had been raped.
The atmosphere on Cornell's campus has been described as tense. Students and faculty members, speaking anonymously, expressed feelings of being "overwhelmed" and "disappointed," with one student comparing the campus mood to a "dark cloud" and believing the university mishandled the situation. A faculty member called the mood "dismal," noting that staff lacked the training to handle such events effectively.