Hundreds join protest at Cornell University to call for frat members to be expelled after rape allegations

Hundreds of Cornell University students took part in a protest on Monday after a lawsuit alleging a woman was gang-raped on campus thrust the Ivy League school into the national spotlight.

Students, many wearing backpacks and carrying signs, gathered in Ho Plaza in the afternoon to demand changes from university leaders, including the expulsion of the fraternity members accused in the case.

The civil lawsuit — filed last month by a plaintiff identified only as Jane Doe — alleges that seven fraternity members gang-raped her at a party in October 2024, when she was a 20-year-old sophomore. According to the complaint, she was intoxicated, drugged and unable to consent. Several of the men were later expelled, though none has been criminally charged. All have denied wrongdoing.

The local district attorney’s office initially declined to bring criminal charges, saying Jane Doe’s statement to police did not allege that she had performed sexual acts or consumed drugs without consent. However, the office reopened its investigation last month. On Friday, state Attorney General Letitia James assumed control of the case, describing it as an “active criminal investigation.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who appointed James, claimed local police and prosecutors had “failed.”

Monday’s “Justice for Survivors” protest was organized by more than a dozen student organizations, including Students for a Democratic Cornell.

“Cornell and its judicial system have failed Jane Doe and countless other survivors,” the group said in a statement announcing the demonstration last week.

Among their demands, organizers called on Cornell to expel the men accused in Jane Doe’s case or revoke their degrees. They also called for an outside investigation of the university, the restoration of an independent judicial system overseen by an official who does not report to the university president, and mandatory sexual-assault-prevention training for students.

Packed into Ho Plaza on the Ithaca campus, demonstrators held signs reading: “Jane Doe deserves justice,” “Alcohol is not consent,” “Hold them accountable,” and “SHAME SHAME SHAME.”

A large banner carried by several students read: “Cornell admin betrays survivors.”

Cornell, led by President Michael Kotlikoff, has defended its handling of the alleged rape investigation, which involved numerous hearings and resulted in suspensions and expulsions for some students involved in the case. The Chi Phi fraternity was also shut down.

“Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” the university said in a statement last week. “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”

Monday’s demonstration was the latest in a series of student actions supporting Jane Doe.

Last week, students held a town hall where participants shared emotional testimony about sexual assault on campus. A seven-hour sit-in is planned for Thursday at Toni Morrison Dining Hall.