2024 Cornell University rape allegations
Group of university students accused of gang rape
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2024 Cornell University rape allegations pertain to a group of seven Cornell University students and members of the university's Chi Phi chapter, also known as the Cornell 7, who are accused of drugging and gang-raping an unnamed female student, known as Jane Doe, in 2024.[1][2][3]
September 2026 (lawsuit)
The Chi Phi Lodge at Cornell University | |
 | |
| Date | October 19–20, 2024 (incident) September 2026 (lawsuit) |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Participants | Jane Doe (unnamed female student), Cornell University, Chi Phi fraternity, Tompkins County District Attorney's Office |
| Outcome | Active; criminal investigation reopened for grand jury review |
| Inquiries | Cornell University Title IX office investigation |
| Litigation | Civil lawsuit filed by Doe against Cornell University and seven Chi Phi members (ongoing) |
On September 14, 2026, Doe sued the university and seven male Chi Phi fraternity members, alleging that she was drugged and gang-raped on campus in 2024, and that Cornell failed to protect her or punish the perpetrators. Two of the seven students had been expelled following an internal investigation in 2024 and the remaining five were allegedly given an "opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell", though Cornell has denied the latter.[4][5][6][1] Messages were allegedly sent in a Snapchat group named "Chi Phi Actives", while the female student was in the fraternity house, including "free pussy upstairs" and "Shop still open?".[7][8]
Background
On November 8, 2024, a former student at Cornell University reported that she had been drugged and gang-raped by at least seven members of the school's chapter of Chi Phi, a fraternity. Known as Jane Doe, she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority at Cornell. At around 8:30 PM on October 19 that year, when Doe was 20, she attended a sorority social event at a bar in Ithaca, New York. She alleged that the bar staff were aware that she was below the legal drinking age in the United States (21), drawing an "X" mark on both of her hands to indicate this, but she was still provided with at least one drink at the establishment. She and her sorority co-members walked to another bar. According to Doe, she had drunk approximately ten beers by 11 PM and was "visibly drunk". She "stumbled alone" to see a male friend, a member of the school's Chi Phi chapter.[9]
According to Doe, the male friend took her inside the fraternity house, gave her another beer, and proposed a threesome. She also said she was "pressured" to consume ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic.[9] According to CBC News in 2026, they obtained a video showing Snapchat messages that some of the men exchanged in a group chat called "Chi Phi Actives" during the alleged gang rape. One said "free pussy upstairs" while another said "Shop still open?", receiving the reply "Yea".[7][8] Additional fraternity brothers then entered the room and allegedly consumed ketamine off her body, with some reportedly making additional advances. After most of the fraternity brothers left, two of the men allegedly took Doe to another room for additional sexual acts. At this point, Doe alleged she was "completely incapacitated".[9]
Investigation
Doe was first interviewed by the Cornell University Police on November 14, 2024. In a transcript of her statement to the police obtained by CBS News, Doe was quoted as saying, "I can say with 100% confidence I was raped." She also alleged that during the alleged gang rape, she told some of the men that she was "uncomfortable" and "tired" at various points and swatted one man's hand, and that she was "completely and totally incapacitated".[10] The case was subsequently handled by Cornell's Title IX office, whose investigation, consisting of 12 panel hearings, culminated in the expulsion of two students and the closure of the Chi Phi chapter in 2024.[11] Institutional Title IX offices typically do not have the legal authority to issue subpoenas for evidence or witness testimony to support their decision-making process, nor forward their evidence to higher legal authority.[12]
The Tompkins County district attorney said he would consider presenting the case to a grand jury even though in 2024 he had declined to do so.[11] In September 2026, he said that he had not seen the transcript of Doe's initial statement to the police when he refused to take the case to a grand jury in 2024.[13] In the same month, the official Tompkins County website published a press release where the DA claimed that Doe's subsequent statement to his office had described "her participation" as "voluntary, conscious, and consensual."[14] However, within Doe's statement that the DA shared, NPR's Jaclyn Diaz noted "several" instances of Doe saying that she did not consent to certain activities and was "increasingly" intoxicated as the evening progressed.[15]
On September 28, 2026, prosecutors stated they would reopen the investigation.[16][17][18][19] The next day, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for a transparent and independent review of Cornell's response.[16] Ithaca Mayor Robert G. Cantelmo called for an "immediate moratorium on all student event and special event permits"[20] due to the ongoing case of the Chi Phi gang-rape scandal.[21] The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James is reviewing the university's response to the allegations.[22]
Through their attorneys, one of the accused men denied "touch[ing] the plaintiff in any way. Period"; while another acknowledged that "misconduct" had occurred and confirmed that he had "thoughtlessly" sent one of the Snapchat messages included in the complaint, but denied participating in any sexual activity or drug use at the time of the incident.[23]
Reactions
On September 26, 2026, student journalists at the The Cornell Daily Sun revealed the names of the Cornell 7, after conducting a two-year-long investigation of the case.[24][25][26] The allegations received considerable attention online, with several commenters criticizing Cornell University's handling of the case.[27] CNN reported that the case refocused attention on the issue of campus sexual assault.[28] In an Instagram statement, actress Florence Pugh described the incident as a "horrific act" and urged more men to speak out against sexual violence. She accused Instagram of censoring her post, claiming it had been restricted.[29] In a shared Instagram statement with the Joyful Heart Foundation, Mariska Hargitay accused Cornell of failing to protect its students.[30] Actor Josh Gad called the incident a "destruction of life" on social media, while actor Hudson Williams shared photos of the seven students on Instagram, calling for their expulsion.[31] During a town hall in Ithaca, United States representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned Cornell's handling of the case and cited the incident as part of a "culture of rape".[22]
Due to this case, a New York state law known as the "voluntary intoxication loophole" attracted renewed criticism. It potentially prevents individuals accused of rape from being prosecuted if the alleged victim willingly consumed intoxicating substances before the incident.[32][33][34] A number of New York state politicians, including Jeffrey Dinowitz and Nathalia Fernandez, sponsored a proposed bill where "a conviction could occur if it is demonstrated that a person reasonably should have known the accuser was incapacitated and unable to consent", regardless of how the accuser became incapacitated.[34]