Jane Doe’s hope for the future has been revealed by her lawyer after she was allegedly subjected to a gang rape at Cornell University in 2024.
The alleged hours-long sexual assault took place in the Chi Phi fraternity house back in October 2024.
Cornell University gang rape case
The victim, identified anonymously as Jane Doe in court documents, reported to Cornell University Police in November 2024 that she had been subjected to a sexual assault that lasted hours.
In a new civil lawsuit, Doe has alleged that seven men from Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity chapter assaulted her for hours in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine on October 19, 2024. She was 20 at the time.
She said in her lawsuit that she was intoxicated during the alleged incident and could not provide consent.
In November 2024, Cornell University said it had suspended the local chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity, as well as “a number of students” after Doe reported the incident.
The Ivy League university said its Title IX investigation took place over several months. It included hearings where a panel of trained faculty and staff heard evidence.
The university said its investigation resulted in a range of sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions from Cornell.
Now, two years on, Doe has filed a lawsuit against the university, the Chi Phi fraternity and the seven men involved in the alleged attack.
Celebrities such as Olivia Rodrigo and Florence Pugh have since spoken out about the case, and protests and marches have taken place at the university.
Jane Doe ‘didn’t want to leave the university’
Despite the alleged attacks, Doe initially didn’t want to leave the university, even if it meant crossing paths with those she’d accused of sexually assaulting her.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said: “She wanted to really stay the course, and this was her dream. She didn’t want what these guys did to blow up her desires in life.”
However, Giuffra said that the campus rumour mill, disturbing messages, and encounters with the men allegedly involved left Doe feeling unsafe and “targeted”.
After reporting the incident to the university police and the internal investigation, Giuffra said it all “got too much” for Doe, who withdrew from Cornell in February 2025.
According to court filings, Doe left university struggling with depression and anxiety, and was plagued by sleepless nights. Giuffra said her parents, whom she had confided in, were “extremely, extremely supportive”.
Jane Doe felt ‘alone and unsupported’ before the alleged gang rape became a national scandal
The fact that there has been such an outpouring of support and outrage since she filed the lawsuit has provided Doe with a sense that people are finally listening to her, according to Giuffra.
“She felt alone; she felt unsupported in the entire process by the police, by the prosecutor, by the university. The fact that now you have her fellow Cornell students marching for change and marching in support of her, that lets her know that she finally is being supported for what happened to her. It’s long overdue,” Giuffra said.
However, she has also been subject to attempts to uncover her identity and threats, with some telling her she “should die” and “be killed”. Giuffra also said that Doe was recently subject of a swatting, with police pulling guns on her and her family.
However, for Doe, the sheer scale of support has outweighed the abuse. Giuffre believes it has given her “the strength and courage” to move on and seek accountability.
Jane Doe’s hopes for the future
None of the seven men have been criminally charged. All of them denied any wrongdoing during the university’s internal investigations.
Cornell University has also defended its own handling of the case, maintaining that prosecutors declined an offer to review additional evidence gathered.
At the end of the interview, Giuffra then revealed Doe’s hopes for the future, saying: “The hope is that this isn’t just about her. That something comes out of this to effectuate positive change for all women.”
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