2024 Cornell University rape allegations

On September 16, 2026, a former Cornell University student referred to by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against the university, its Chi Phi fraternity chapter, seven student members of the fraternity, her sorority Delta Delta Delta, and others. Doe alleged that she was drugged and gang-raped by the seven students at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024, and that Cornell failed to protect her and punish the alleged perpetrators.

The incident allegedly took place between October 19 and 20, 2024, about three weeks before Doe reported it to Cornell University Police on November 8. After receiving a 6-page summary of the 120-page transcript of Doe's police interview, Tompkins County district attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to present the case to a grand jury. From January to May 2025, a Title IX investigation and at least twelve hearings were conducted by Cornell, resulting in the expulsion of two students and the closure of the Chi Phi chapter, which was permanently barred from campus. The other accused students faced other sanctions, such as suspensions, disciplinary probation, and writing reflection papers.

Since the case was filed in 2026, Doe's allegations have attracted national media and political attention. Following a media outcry, New York governor Kathy Hochul called for a transparent and independent review of Cornell's response and appointed New York attorney general Letitia James as special prosecutor. The student defendants are often referred to by the media as the "Cornell 7".