Hundreds gather for justice

Students and faculty at Cornell University protested Monday in front of the student center under the banner of Justice for Survivors, wearing purple ribbons and holding signs demanding accountability.

The alleged assault in 2024

A former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit on September fourteenth alleging she was sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity and that Cornell was negligent in its response.

Protest led by student groups

Dozens of student organizations, including Students for a Democratic Cornell, led the peaceful protest. Soham Bera, vice-chair of SDC, told TIME hundreds of students came together despite the administration's history of cracking down on protesting.

“This was a moment where you had hundreds, if not thousands, of students coming together, despite the fact this administration has been known for cracking down on protesting and still deciding this is our moment.”

Calls for the president to resign

Demonstrators chanted for Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff to resign and called for fraternities to be banned. The groups presented Cornell's leadership with demands for disciplinary action and changes to how the university handles sexual assault complaints.

Insufficient punishments alleged

Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said Cornell expelled two of the seven accused students and required some fraternity members to write essays. Cornell later clarified that none of the individuals charged were offered essays as a sole consequence.

Denied tuition refund claim

Giuffra claims Jane Doe was denied her request for a tuition refund when she sought to leave Cornell. She eventually withdrew from the university, citing a lack of institutional support. Cornell said it regularly refunds payments but did not respond directly to the accusation.

Drug arrest before assault

The Cornell Daily Sun reported that campus police made a drug-related arrest at the Chi Phi fraternity house less than twenty four hours before the alleged assault. Doe alleges in her lawsuit that she was coerced into using drugs before the assault.

Threats after filing lawsuit

On Sunday, Giuffra told CNN's State of the Union that Jane Doe has been receiving threats since filing her lawsuit. He said people are trying to track her down and have told her they will shut her up.

“There are people out there trying to track her down. They said, 'We're gonna shut you up.'”

Faculty no-confidence resolution

Faculty Senate member Paul Ortiz, a professor of labor history, sponsored a no-confidence resolution stating the faculty Senate has no confidence in the central administration's ability to address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.

“The faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.”

Vote scheduled for October

The no-confidence resolution is not legally binding, but it is expected to be put to a vote when the faculty Senate meets on October fourteenth. Faculty governing boards are not required to replace administrators because of such a resolution.

Alumni withhold support

Sami Sage, who graduated from Cornell in two thousand eleven, launched an online petition that has collected over sixty one thousand signatures pledging to withhold financial and other support until the university demonstrates accountability, transparency, remedy, and prevention.

Demands for systemic change

Organizing groups called on Cornell to expel or revoke degrees of students involved in the alleged assault, establish independent hearings with minimum sanctions, require prevention training and trauma-informed training for campus police, and commission an external review of the case.

Independent review appointed

On Tuesday, Cornell University's Board of Trustees named Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. attorney general and career federal prosecutor, to lead an independent review of the university's handling of the case, including policies, practices, and fraternity oversight.

State investigation reopened

The criminal investigation was reopened on September twenty eighth by Tompkins District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized Van Houten's handling and appointed State Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor on October first.

Protests continue next week

Students for a Democratic Cornell plans a sit-in protest on Wednesday in solidarity with Jane Doe and all survivors of sexual assault. An independent protest organized by groups unaffiliated with Cornell is scheduled for October thirteenth.