‘We Are Absolutely Ashamed’: Cornell Students Demand Action Over Rape Allegations

Students at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, have gathered to express anger, frustration and concern over the university’s handling of allegations that a former student was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men at a fraternity house in 2024.

More than 100 students, faculty members, parents and other members of the Cornell community attended a public forum on Thursday, where speakers called for greater transparency, stronger sexual-assault prevention measures and changes to aspects of campus and fraternity culture.

Cornell student body president Eeshaan Chaudhuri told the gathering that students were “absolutely ashamed” of the events associated with the case and said the campus community stood with victims of sexual violence. Other students described their own experiences with sexual-assault reporting and called for improvements in the university’s response mechanisms.

The renewed controversy centres on allegations made by a former Cornell student identified in court documents as Jane Doe. She filed a civil lawsuit in September against seven men, the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, her sorority and other parties.

According to the lawsuit, the woman attended a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 and alleges that she was given alcohol, marijuana and ketamine before becoming incapacitated and being sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members. The allegations have not been established as criminal findings, and the men accused have denied wrongdoing, telling university investigators that sexual activity was consensual.

The case initially did not result in criminal charges. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said investigators reviewed the woman’s original statement and determined that the facts presented at the time did not meet the requirements for prosecution under New York law. He has since reopened the investigation following the emergence of additional information and renewed public attention.

On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul went further, appointing Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation. Hochul said newly released information had raised serious questions about the original investigation and the decision not to prosecute.

The renewed investigation follows the release of additional material from Cornell’s internal investigation. Reuters reported that more than 1,000 pages of documents have emerged, while ABC News reported that Cornell conducted at least 12 Title IX hearings and interviewed 32 witnesses during its 2025 investigation.

Cornell has defended aspects of its response, saying it launched an investigation, suspended the Chi Phi chapter and imposed disciplinary measures on students involved. The university has also agreed to an independent outside review of how it handled the allegations after Hochul called for such an investigation.

The national Chi Phi fraternity has also said that members understood to have been involved were expelled from the fraternity. The organisation said its actions went beyond what Cornell or the law required.

The case has also sparked a broader debate about New York’s sexual-assault laws. Prosecutors and advocates have raised concerns about how the law treats situations in which an alleged victim voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs before becoming incapacitated. Under current provisions, prosecutors face different legal considerations depending on whether intoxication was voluntary or involuntary.

The Cornell controversy has therefore developed on several fronts: the criminal investigation, the civil lawsuit, the university’s internal disciplinary process, the independent review and a wider debate about sexual-assault legislation.

For students who attended Thursday’s forum, however, the immediate issue was accountability on their own campus. Speakers called for stronger prevention programmes, clearer support for students reporting sexual violence and greater transparency from university officials.

The special prosecutor’s investigation is now expected to examine the available evidence and determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Until that process is completed, the allegations against the individuals named in the lawsuit remain allegations.