A reopened investigation into an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University is putting fresh attention on how US universities respond to reports of sexual violence.
The case centres on an incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, in October 2024. A 20-year-old Cornell student alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members.
The allegations have resurfaced after the woman filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell, the fraternity and the men involved. She argues that the university did not do enough to protect her or hold those accused accountable.
The lawsuit has also brought renewed attention to messages exchanged by members of the fraternity around the time of the alleged incident.
Cornell University Police provided prosecutors with an image of a Snapchat group used by Chi Phi members. The messages, sent shortly before the alleged assault, reportedly referred to a sexual encounter with the woman in crude terms.
Additional text messages have also been published by CBS News. They reportedly involve one of the defendants and a woman who appears to be the person who made the allegations.
The case is now back in the spotlight as New York state prosecutors reopen their investigation.
For students at Cornell, the developments have raised broader questions about sexual violence and the support available to people who report it.
Jane Wang, a Cornell sophomore, said the case had made her think about the difficulties students can face after an assault and about the support available on campus.
“I think like the main similarity that I found with reading that report was just like the fact that she felt as though afterwards, because of the lack of resources that she had on campus, she had no choice but to eventually drop out, right?”
Wang said she also saw the case as part of a wider problem affecting universities.
“And I think the silver lining of this entire situation is although what happened to Jane Doe was so atrocious and these types of acts that have continued throughout the entire history here at Cornell, but also other universities, is so atrocious,”
For junior Sophia Riley Sim, the questions raised by the case extend beyond Cornell.
“Right now I think we all have the same feeling of where do we go with this? I had questions as a freshman, well, how do we address sexual assault as a university? And now I'm a junior and I'm still asking the same questions of how do we address sexual violence across the nation?”
Cornell has rejected the allegation that it failed to punish those involved. The university has said it supported presenting the case to a grand jury and has agreed to an independent investigation into its handling of the allegations.
The reopened investigation will now determine what further action may follow from the allegations and evidence surrounding the 2024 case.
