Massive protests broke out at Cornell University on Monday amid outrage over the school's handling of a former student's claim she was gang raped by seven fraternity members.
uncertain
she → break → members
The woman, only identified in court documents as Jane Doe, claimed in an explosive lawsuit last month that members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and raped her in October 2024.
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members → identify → October
As further details now emerge about the Cornell University Police Department's investigation into Jane Doe's claims, more than 20 student organizations gathered on Monday for what they called the 'Justice for Survivors' protest.
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they → emerge → Survivors
One person in the massive crowd of students, faculty and community members was seen carrying a sign reading: 'We are all Jane Doe.'
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We → see → sign
Others waved signs reading, 'Alcohol is not consent' and 'Support survivors, listen to students,' the New York Post reports.
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Post → wave → students
The protesters called for university officials to show accountability and transparency and to revise the school's sexual assault policies and trainings, according to Spectrum Local News.
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officials → call → News
Some speakers also demanded that Cornell's fraternities be kicked off campus, while others called for University President Michael Kotlikoff to resign.
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Kotlikoff → demand → campus
A few of the speakers even demanded that all of the accused brothers who graduated from the school have their diplomas revoked and that those still on campus be expelled.
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those → demand → campus
Teachers, students and community members gathered at Cornell University on Monday to protest the school's handling of a 2024 rape investigation
More than a thousand students participated in the rally on Monday, calling for university officials to show accountability and transparency and to revise the school's sexual assault policies and trainings
More than 20 student groups organized the Justice for Survivors rally
Jane Doe had alleged in her civil lawsuit last month that she arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024, already heavily intoxicated following a night of drinking in Ithaca.
She alleges she was pressured to take ketamine and given marijuana and high-proof alcohol before being repeatedly sexually assaulted as additional fraternity members entered the room.
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members → gather → room
The complaint alleges seven men eventually participated and that Doe became 'completely incapacitated.'
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Doe → allege → ?
She says the ordeal continued until around 5.45am, when she lost consciousness.
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she → say → consciousness
It also claims that during the assault, one fraternity member posted to a 'Chi Phi Actives' Snapchat group that there was 'free p***y' upstairs, referring to Doe.
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member → claim → Doe
'Like you can walk in and whip it out,' another member allegedly responded, according to a screenshot described in the filing.
Doe reported the allegations to Cornell University Police on November 8 after friends encouraged her to come forward, according to the lawsuit.
But none of the alleged attackers were ever charged with any wrongdoing, and only two were expelled from the school in the aftermath.
Lawyers for two of the former students denied they participated in a sexual assault.
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they → walk → assault
Court records show that some of the accused students, when interviewed by Cornell investigators, described the sexual activity as consensual.
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some → show → activity
A woman is pictured holding a sign supporting Jane Doe at the protest
The protesters condemned the school for only expelling two of the alleged rapists
Some students are pictured at the protest on campus on Monday
'I can't even imagine the trauma she went through,' Jonathan Lam, co-president of the school's American Civil Liberties Union, told Spectrum Local News during the protest on Monday.
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Lam → picture → Monday
'When we heard about it, you know, it was very disturbing,' he said of the allegations.
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he → hear → allegations
'There was a lot of frustration from the student body in terms of like, how this could happen.'
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this → be → terms
Lam then argued that Jane Doe was failed by the university during its initial 2024 investigation.
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Doe → argue → investigation
'We're supposed to have systems in place that could have been there for her, that could have been there for her, that could have supported her, and that just wasn't being used.'
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that → suppose → her
Further protests are now scheduled for Wednesday, when students will skip classes for seven hours – symbolizing the amount of time that Jane Doe was allegedly raped.
But not all of the protests have been peaceful.
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all → schedule → protests
The protesters demanded that university officials take action as more details about the alleged rape investigation are revealed
Some protesters called for the school to expel the alleged rapists that are still on campus
Ahead of the Justice for Survivors protest on Monday
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that → demand → Monday
, anonymous activists smashed the glass door and painted messages on the walls of a building on campus.
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activists → smash → campus
The graffiti, which has since been cleaned up, read: 'At Cornell, rapists are protected... protestors are expelled.'
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protestors → clean → Cornell
It was an apparent reference to the school's decision to suspend 15 students for reportedly protesting the conflict in Gaza in 2024 while sanctioning the students named by Jane Doe.
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It → suspend → Doe
The perpetrators of Monday morning's graffiti have since told the Cornell Daily Sun their actions were motivated by both Jane Doe's lawsuit and 'in protest of the global systems of power that allowed this to happen in the first place.'
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this → tell → place
'We wanted to ensure that Day Hall, the center of Cornell's administrative function, was not able to continue business as usual,' the anonymous activists said.
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activists → want → business
When they were then asked about their goals for the demonstration, they said they were calling for the 'abolition of [Interfraternity Council] Greek life on campus, resignation or termination of the named administration officials, the replacement of Cornell's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards with a democratic disciplinary system and expulsion/revocation of degrees for all Chi Phi members involved in the rape.'
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they → ask → rape
The demonstrators went on to argue the alleged rape was a product of 'morally corrupt systems' at Cornell and around the world that have 'historically punished women for speaking out about sexual violence.'
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that → go → violence
Anonymous activists smashed the glass door and painted messages on the walls of a building on campus
The activists also defended their actions as nonviolent.
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activists → smash → actions
'We reject the dogma that would condemn our actions this morning as violent while excusing rape,' they said in a statement.
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they → reject → statement
'Property damage is not violent; condoning rape is.
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condoning → condone → rape
But Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball said in a statement that 'damaging property is not the answer' to Cornellians' 'frustration and strong emotions.'
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property → say → frustration
'We understand the frustration and strong emotions being expressed across our community.
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We → understand → community
Those concerns deserve to be heard, but damaging property is not the answer,' he said.
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he → deserve → property
'We are investigating the vandalism at Day Hall and will address it in accordance with University policy and applicable law.'
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We → investigate → policy
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday that the administration welcomed an investigation into the university's handling of the 2024 alleged rape case
University officials have previously said they would undertake an independent investigation into its handling of the matter.
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they → say → matter
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the case – a decision University President Kotlikoff applauded as he announced that administrators will support legislative efforts to strengthen laws on sexual assault and intoxication.
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administrators → appoint → assault
He called the days following the lawsuit 'one of the most difficult weeks' in Cornell history, adding that he acknowledged students were 'angry, sad and struggling.'
'What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,' the president continued.
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president → call → years
'My heart aches when I think of what she experienced.
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she → ache → what
It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.
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It → raise → culture
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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