Additional details are emerging regarding statements made by individuals at the center of an alleged rape case at Cornell University in the days and weeks following the incident. CBS News New York obtained a Title IX record containing the account of Jane Doe, interviews with six of the seven men named in a related lawsuit, and testimony from 20 witnesses. According to the documents, a student present at the Chi Phi house on the night of the alleged 2024 assault received a phone call the following day from one of the accused men. The call reportedly occurred right before a sorority event. The student alleged that the man asked her to ensure a friend did not say anything about what might have happened the night before, adding that another fraternity member was very concerned. At the time, the student thought little of the call, assuming the caller was simply embarrassed and hoping to prevent rumors. She passed the message along to her friend, who was subsequently interviewed by investigators. That friend stated that the remarks only clicked weeks later after Cornell issued a campus crime alert, calling the realization very concerning. The friend and her roommate went to the Cornell Police and provided a witness statement, though what happened to that statement is not mentioned in the 565-page Title IX record. While Cornell initially stated it shared all investigative information with the Tompkins County district attorney’s office, its FAQ was later updated to specify that only the victim’s sworn statement and a Snapchat screenshot were provided. The district attorney confirmed receiving solely Jane Doe’s 2024 statement and a Snapchat video. During the investigation, the accused man initially denied having a phone call with the student about that night when questioned by an investigator. A month later, through written corrections, he acknowledged speaking with her regarding rumor control. Earlier in the same interview, when asked how the fraternity brothers addressed the rumors, he stated that their approach was simply to deny them. Although the district attorney initially declined to file charges against any of the accused men, the criminal investigation has since been reopened.
Source: cbsnews.com
