Cornell students stage anti-rape protest

Cornell University students staged a mass rally on Monday voicing solidarity with a classmate whose gang-rape allegations have ignited a national uproar and demanding that the Ivy League school take firmer action against sexual violence on campus.



The protesters called for an external inquiry into how Cornell's administration has handled the matter, independent hearings and uniform minimum sanctions for all sexual assaults on campus, and better training for campus police in responding to complaints of sexual violence and harassment.



The alleged gang-rape victim, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, has said the university failed to adequately investigate and punish campus fraternity members who were involved.



Some demonstrators also called for the resignation of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other members of his administration, saying their policies have perpetuated what protesters called a "culture of rape" on campus.



In a lawsuit filed last month, Jane Doe said she was plied with drugs and alcohol and then sexually assaulted by several members of the campus chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024 after she had become incapacitated.



Doe, who was 20 at the time, named seven Chi Phi members as defendants in the suit, along with the fraternity chapter, a local bar, her own sorority, and the university.