Some Cornell students staged a sit-in at a dining hall and vowed not to spend money on campus on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) to protest s exual violence and how the university has handled complaints, in the latest expression of outrage over an alleged 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house.
Jane Doe, who was a student then, alleges that Chi Phi members plied her with alcohol and drugs and several sexually assaulted her. Lawyers for two of the men have denied they participated in a sexual assault. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the others or their representatives have been unsuccessful. In the wake of her lawsuit, the state attorney general is conducting a renewed criminal investigation. This week Cornell trustees brought in former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to review how the school investigates sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works, campus police response and more.
Some of the men who underwent a university disciplinary hearing in 2024 told investigators that the sexual activity was consensual or said they were not involved. The woman went to Cornell police in November 2024, though no criminal charges resulted.
One man sent others a message inviting them to participate, according to a lawsuit she filed last month against Cornell, the fraternity, seven men who were Chi Phi brothers and others.
Cornell closed down the Chi Phi campus chapter in 2024 and says it expelled some students and suspended others after an investigation under the federal Title IX law.
