Cornell 7
Group of university students
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cornell 7 are a group of seven Cornell University students and members of the university's Chi Phi chapter who are accused of drugging and gang-raping an unnamed female student, only known as Jane Doe, in 2024.[1]
September 2026 (lawsuit)
 | |
| Date | October 19–20, 2024 (incident) September 2026 (lawsuit) |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Type | Campus sexual assault, drugging, gang assault |
| Target | Jane Doe (unnamed female student) |
| Participants | 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.[2][3][4][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?".[5][6]
The district attorney said he would consider presenting the case to a grand jury even though in 2024 he had declined to do so.[7] The DA's initial decision to decline to press charges was attributable to the female student's initial testimony in 2024 stating that "her participation" was "voluntary, conscious, and consensual."[8] 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 Chi Phi chapter being closed in 2024.[7] 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.[9]
On September 28, 2026, prosecutors stated they would reopen the investigation.[10][11][12][13] The next day, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for a transparent and independent review of Cornell's response.[10] Ithaca Mayor Robert G. Cantelmo called for an "immediate moratorium on all student event and special event permits"[14] due to the ongoing case of the Chi Phi gang-rape scandal.[15]