- The lawsuit, filed by Jane Doe, accuses seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of participating in the assault while she was unable to consent.
- The lawsuit alleges Doe was given more alcohol and pressured into snorting ketamine, then sexually assaulted while incapable of consent.
- The lawsuit includes allegations of a Snapchat group chat message encouraging others to join the assault, and that multiple fraternity members entered the room and subjected Doe to an hours-long assault.
- Doe's attorney criticized the investigation, noting she was not contacted by investigators trained in interviewing rape survivors, and called the potential prosecution a step in the right direction.
- Cornell University and the Chi Phi fraternity are named as defendants, with allegations including negligence, breach of contract, and violations of New York's Human Rights Law.
A former Cornell University student, Jane Doe, has filed a 101-page lawsuit alleging she was drugged and gang-raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity on October 19, 2024. The lawsuit details how Doe was pressured into consuming alcohol and a substance described as ketamine, rendering her incapable of consent.1234
According to the suit, one of the accused sent a message to the fraternity's Snapchat group stating there was “free p*ssy” upstairs, encouraging other members to join in the assault. The complaint alleges that multiple fraternity members entered the room and subjected Doe to an hours-long assault that lasted until approximately 5:45 a.m.567
The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office has reopened the investigation after community pressure, as initial reports did not include the allegations now detailed in the lawsuit. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that no charges were filed initially because Doe's original statement to police did not indicate she was drugged or assaulted.8910
An attorney for one of the accused denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the allegations did not occur. “Even the District Attorney’s Office... filed no charges against (him) because what she alleged did not happen,” attorney Jeremy Saland said. The lawsuit names over a dozen defendants, including the fraternity and Cornell University, citing negligence, sexual assault, and violations of New York’s Human Rights Law.1112
“The suit claims Doe was given more alcohol and pressured into snorting ketamine, then assaulted for hours after a Snapchat message encouraged others to join. Her attorney criticized the investigation, noting she was never contacted by trained rape-survivor interviewers, and called potential prosecution 'a step in the right direction, albeit a late one.'”
