Ithaca Bar Denies Serving Alcohol in Cornell Rape Case

Ithaca’s Moonies bar has denied allegations that it served alcohol to a 20-year-old woman prior to her alleged gang rape by Cornell University students. The bar is named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the woman, who claims she was served alcohol at the establishment despite being underage and visibly intoxicated.

In a court filing, Moonies disputed the woman's claims, asserting that the bar did not serve her any alcohol. The filing specifically denies that the bar "sold or furnished alcoholic beverages to any visibly intoxicated person." The woman, who was 20 at the time, has stated in her lawsuit that she had consumed numerous shots before arriving at the bar during a sorority event. She also noted that the bar had marked her hand to indicate she was underage, below New York's legal drinking age of 21.

The alleged incident occurred in October 2024 and involves seven fraternity members. The woman accused them of drugging and raping her. The lawsuit also names Cornell University as a defendant.

Recent developments in the broader "Cornell 7" case have included protests on campus with more than 1,000 participants demanding the university president's resignation over the handling of the allegations. One of the accused fraternity members has claimed he was too intoxicated to consent to sexual activity with the accuser, and records indicate he may be positioning himself as the victim. Additionally, questions have been raised about the impartiality of the investigation, with the lawyer for one defendant calling for New York Attorney General Letitia James to step down due to a social media post. A Cornell student who alerted police to online chats related to the incident expressed feelings of betrayal regarding the administration's response.