In 2024, a young woman left her dorm at Cornell, went out drinking with some of her friends, then left them and went to the Chi Phi frat house to meet a friend. She was already intoxicated when she got to the Chi Phi frat house. She was given more to drink. She was also given some ketamine, and then it appears that she was sexually assaulted for hours. Some reports say that she was sexually assaulted for over 7 hours.
This case seems to have been mishandled by the Cornell Police Department, the Tompkins County District Attorney, and everyone Jane Doe turned to for help getting justice.
This case has exploded onto the internet, as topics seem to do from time to time. I didn’t want to jump into the fray right away because I wanted to make sure I had my facts straight and my thoughts clear.
I have a few questions. What happened to the dorm mother who was not supposed to let intoxicated women leave the dorm? What happened to the bar that served an underage woman alcohol? What happened to the men who received that group chat text message for “free pu$$y” and did nothing? The Tompkins County District Attorney said that the woman in her original statement did not accuse the men of sexual assault/rape or drugging her. Then what did she say in her statement? I don’t understand what they were investigating if she didn’t accuse them of a crime, or is he lying? Why were 2 men expelled and the other 5 not? What was the difference? If 2 men were expelled for sexual misconduct/rape, why weren’t there any formal charges? Jane Doe asked for her money back because she wanted to drop out of school that semester, but Cornell would not give it back. Why not? Why would Cornell force her to stay in that environment?
It seems to me that if women were valued in our society, then allegations of rape and sexual assault would be promptly and seriously investigated. Women would be encouraged and not discouraged from reporting misconduct/assault. They would be treated with dignity and respect when they did report something, but that’s not what happens in our society. Instead, women are treated like outcasts. They are treated like they are the problem. This has to change. This must change if we are going to get anywhere near an equal society.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has entered the picture. She has appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate this whole ordeal. I don’t know what will happen, but I promise you that this case will not be swept under the rug. It will now get full law enforcement attention.
Update: NYT has more details on the punishment for the Cornell 7. This is worth a read. It specifically names the seven men who were accused of sexual assault/rape.
Ummm, the more I find out, the more it seems Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten did the absolute least he could have done to close this case two years ago. It appears he didn’t review all the files the Cornell Police handed over. It actually appears that he may have lied when he released a public statement describing Jane Doe’s participation as “voluntary, conscious, and consensual.” I think that he should be fired. The NY Bar needs to look at this license very carefully.
