More than seven months after a former Cornell University student known as Jane Doe reported being sexually assaulted at the campus Chi Phi fraternity house, she provided a university hearing panel with a detailed account of the October 2024 incident. According to school records and transcripts reviewed by ABC News, Doe testified that she was raped and tormented during the gathering, pleading with the panel to remove the accused men from campus to make Cornell a safer place.
Testifying via teleconference on May 29, 2025, Doe described feeling coerced into using ketamine and alleged she was subjected to multiple assaults by a group of fraternity brothers. The case has sparked widespread national conversations regarding the handling of sexual assault allegations on college campuses. While the Cornell Title IX investigation was conducted behind closed doors, local prosecutors in Tompkins County previously declined to bring criminal charges, and the district attorney’s office did not review police findings.
During the 12-day hearing, Doe and the accused fraternity members presented starkly contrasting accounts of the evening. Doe acknowledged gaps in her memory and explained why some of her initial post-incident communications with the men appeared friendly. A friend who testified on her behalf stated that Doe’s initial inclination to frame the encounter as consensual stemmed from being in shock and trying to process the trauma.
Conversely, the seven accused men denied all wrongdoing. Some maintained that the encounter was entirely consensual, arguing that Doe only initiated an investigation after campus rumors spread following a public crime alert. Other fraternity members distanced themselves from the sexual acts, contending they were either not involved or were being unfairly held accountable for simply being present in the room.
Following the lengthy hearing, the panel issued its decision three months later, resulting in the expulsion of two students and the suspension of two others. Jane Doe ultimately withdrew from Cornell and filed a civil lawsuit in connection with the case. Meanwhile, the legal fallout continues to expand as New York Attorney General Letitia James investigates the matter, and Cornell’s board of trustees recently appointed former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent probe.
Source: abcnews.com
