Cornell students stage sit-in to protest university’s handling of alleged 2024 gang rape

Cornell students staged a sit-in at a dining hall on Wednesday, refusing to spend money on campus, in protest of the university's handling of an alleged 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house. The demonstration was prompted by a lawsuit filed by a student named Jane Doe, who claims she was sexually assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity after they supplied her with alcohol and drugs.

Jane Doe alleges that several men from the fraternity were involved in the assault. Cornell police investigated the incident in November 2024, but no criminal charges were filed. The state attorney general has launched a renewed criminal investigation. Cornell closed down the Chi Phi fraternity chapter in 2024 and expelled and suspended several students following an investigation under Title IX.

The university trustees have brought in former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to review the school's sexual assault and harassment policies, disciplinary processes, and campus police response.