Jane Doe files civil suit over alleged Oct. 2024 Chi Phi fraternity assault
Jane Doe has sued seven former Chi Phi brothers, Cornell University and others, alleging she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. No criminal charges have been filed.
In September 2026 Jane Doe filed a civil complaint against seven former Chi Phi fraternity brothers, Cornell University, the fraternity chapter and other entities, alleging that she was heavily intoxicated, given ketamine and then sexually assaulted by several men on the night of Oct. 19-20, 2024. The complaint relies on text messages, a sworn six-page police statement, and transcripts from a Title IX investigation that detail her experience, including a consensual encounter that escalated into non-consensual sex while she was incapacitated.
Prosecutors have not filed criminal charges, and Cornell’s internal process led to a range of disciplinary actions, though the specifics are not disclosed. Doe visited Cornell Health for a urinary-tract infection and later sought a rape kit, but DNA evidence was no longer available. She reported the assault to campus police on Nov. 8, prompting a temporary suspension of the accused students. The lawsuit claims the university and fraternity failed to safeguard her, and her lawyer says she withdrew from school after the events.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing concerns about campus sexual assault handling and institutional accountability.
How this story developed
- Sep 25 Student thought to be Korean named among defendants in Cornell sexual assault lawsuit
- Sep 28 Cornell confirmed the Chi Phi fraternity chapter remains barred from operating on campus.
- Sep 29 DA released excerpts of the survivor’s police statement and senior prosecutor began preparing the case for a grand jury.
- Oct 1 Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff approved an independent third‑party investigation into the university’s handling of the 2024 fraternity assault allegations.
In this story
Related stories
13 in this thread