From Vox · Caitlin Dewey · · 2m
Campus sexual assault: the data gap
A rape case at Cornell exposes how little we actually know about sexual assault on college campuses.
In brief
A rape case at Cornell exposes how little we actually know about sexual assault on college campuses. A reopened investigation into a Cornell rape case highlights the lack of comprehensive data on campus sexual assault and recent rollbacks in federal protections. Originally reported by Vox.
A Cornell student's allegation
A former Cornell undergraduate, identified as Jane Doe, alleges seven men pressured her into drinking and snorting large amounts of ketamine before raping her at a campus fraternity house in 2024.
Campus police didn't investigate
Jane Doe reported the incident to campus police, but her lawsuit alleges the men were never adequately investigated. Cornell's administrative system instead meted out noncriminal punishments like suspensions and expulsions.
The DA reopens the case
The Tompkins County district attorney announced Monday he was reopening his office's investigation. Two years ago, his office said Jane Doe did not allege she was incapacitated or that the encounter was nonconsensual.
One in five women assaulted
Surveys have consistently estimated that roughly one in five undergraduate women experiences some form of sexual assault or nonconsensual contact during college. The problem remains appallingly common on campuses.
“roughly one in five undergraduate women experiences some form of sexual assault or nonconsensual contact during college”
The data problem
Federal law has historically required universities to disclose only incidents reported through official channels, a small minority of all cases. This makes it difficult to know if the situation is improving or worsening.
Congress ordered surveys
In two thousand twenty-two, Congress enacted a requirement directing colleges and universities to conduct comprehensive surveys on campus sexual assault every two years. But the Biden administration never set up that survey.
Trump rolls back protections
President Donald Trump has rolled back college sexual assault protections and slow-walked Title IX investigations. On Monday, Trump's Department of Education formally rescinded Biden-era rules designed to hold schools accountable for sexual assault.
Reverting to narrower standards
The department will revert to rules from Trump's first term, which defined sexual harassment more narrowly and gave schools more latitude over how they handle allegations. This happened the same day prosecutors reopened the Cornell case.
The essence
A reopened investigation into a Cornell rape case highlights the lack of comprehensive data on campus sexual assault and recent rollbacks in federal protections.
