Students and faculty at Cornell University are demonstrating mounting displeasure with the school’s administration over its handling of the alleged gang rape by fraternity members that occurred in 2024, calling for greater accountability and an overhaul of investigatory procedure.
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that → demonstrate → procedure
Hundreds of students, faculty members, and other supporters gathered Monday in front of the school’s student center under the banner of “Justice for Survivors.”
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Hundreds → gather → Survivors
Attendees wore purple ribbons and held signs that asked questions such as “Cornell, can you hear us now?” and “When will we start protecting survivors?”
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we → wear → survivors
The peaceful protest was led by dozens of student organizations, including Students for a Democratic Cornell (SDC).
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protest → lead → Cornell
“We found it incredible,” Soham Bera, the vice-chair of SDC, tells TIME.
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Bera → find → TIME
“This was a moment where you had hundreds, if not thousands, of students coming together—despite the fact this administration has been known for cracking down on protesting and still deciding this is our moment.
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this → have → protesting
The groups also presented Cornell’s leadership with demands for disciplinary action and changes to how the university handles sexual assault complaints.
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university → present → complaints
Among the chants from demonstrators were calls for Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff to resign and chants of “Ban the frats!”
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Kotlikoff → resign → frats
Athena Holloway, the former president of Cornell’s Black Students United and president of Cornell NAACP, was one of the speakers at the student-led event.
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Holloway → lead → event
She noted the long history of students using their voices to demand change on campus, including the Afro-American Society Willard Straight Hall Takeover of 1969.
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students → note → 1969
“Cornell has changed before, and we can change it again,” she said.
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she → change → it
Why the Cornell sexual assault case is drawing new outrage
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case → draw → outrage
It comes as a response to the civil lawsuit filed Sept. 14 by a former Cornell student, who is identified in the complaint as Jane Doe.
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who → come → Doe
Doe not only alleges in the lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by seven members of the school’s Chi Phi fraternity but also claims that Cornell was negligent in its response and violated New York law.
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Cornell → allege → law
Cornell’s response to the incident—and its broader approach to handling sexual assault reports on campus—came under scrutiny after Doe’s lawsuit alleged negligence, breach of contract, and violations of New York law.
“We need to speak up.
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We → handle → law
This miscarriage of justice cannot continue to go on,” Bera says.
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Bera → continue → justice
Bera and other protesters point to what they consider insufficient punishments from Cornell University after it conducted its Title IX investigation, which began in January 2025.
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which → point → January
Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, has said that Cornell expelled two of the seven accused students and that it required some of the other fraternity members to write essays.
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it → say → essays
Cornell has confirmed that its disciplinary process resulted in expulsions and suspensions, but it has not disclosed individual outcomes.
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it → confirm → outcomes
It also clarified last week that “none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.”
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none → clarify → involvement
Giuffra also claims that Doe was denied her request for a tuition refund when she sought to leave Cornell.
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she → claim → Cornell
He says that she eventually withdrew from the university, citing a lack of institutional support.
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she → say → support
Cornell subsequently gave a response to Inside Higher Ed saying that it regularly works with students seeking leave and has in the past refunded payments, but it did not respond directly to the accusation related to Doe.
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it → give → Doe
Giuffra added this week that the consequences against Doe have persisted, telling People that she has been receiving threats since filing her lawsuit against her alleged attackers and against Cornell.
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she → add → Cornell
“There are people out there trying to track her down,” he told CNN’s State of the Union.
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he → be → Union
“They said, ‘We’re gonna shut you up.’”
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We → say → you
According to Doe’s lawsuit, the alleged assault involved illegal drug use.
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assault → accord → use
The school’s newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, reported Saturday that campus police made a drug-related arrest at the Chi Phi fraternity house less than 24 hours before the alleged assault and referred an individual to Cornell’s student conduct office.
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police → report → office
Cornell did not tell the Sun when that office learned of the referral.
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office → tell → referral
Dissatisfaction was also expressed early Monday when the school's main administration building was splashed with graffiti and had its doors damaged.
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doors → express → graffiti
In a statement, school spokesperson Kyle Kimball said, “We understand the frustration and strong emotions being expressed across our community.
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We → say → community
Those concerns deserve to be heard, but damaging property is not the answer.
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damaging → 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
As the students continue to assert their frustration with the university, so too does the faculty.
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faculty → continue → university
Faculty Senate member Paul Ortiz, a professor of labor history, sponsored a no-confidence resolution—which is an official statement demonstrating that the faculty no longer trusts or approves of the school’s leadership.
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faculty → sponsor → leadership
It was introduced Monday for review by the University Faculty Committee.
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It → introduce → Committee
“The faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University,” the resolution states, according to The New York Times.
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resolution → have → Times
The resolution is not legally binding, and faculty governing boards are not required to replace administrators because of a no-confidence resolution.
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boards → govern → resolution
The measure is expected to be put to a vote when the faculty Senate meets Oct. 14.
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Senate → expect → vote
TIME has reached out to Ortiz for further comment from the Senate.
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TIME → reach → Senate
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
