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Cornell University students and faculty packed a campus plaza on Oct. 1, 2026, demanding the school do more to support a woman who alleged she was gang-raped by Chi Phi fraternity members in October 2024.
Wearing purple ribbons and holding signs reading "support survivors, expel rapists," protesters filled the student center courtyard and spilled onto surrounding pathways and a nearby hillside.
Student Athena Holloway told the crowd that Cornell's response amounted to "silence, statements and procedures" without genuine support for survivors. "How much does it take for our university to stand with survivors?" she asked.
The woman who reported the assault—identified in court papers as Jane Doe—told Cornell investigators that she was pressured to drink and use drugs before being assaulted. In her account, one fraternity member texted others inviting them to participate. "I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me," she said. "It just was a totally debilitating place to be in."
Jane Doe has since sued Cornell, seven former students, the Chi Phi fraternity and other defendants.
Four days after the protest, on Oct. 5, someone smashed a glass door at Cornell's main administration building and spray-painted red messages condemning patriarchy and the university's handling of sexual assaults. Campus police did not identify suspects or release details on the damage.
Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball said the university was investigating the vandalism. "Damaging property is not the answer" to students' frustration, Kimball said. The university removed the graffiti and boarded up the door later that day.
The case has intensified scrutiny of how Cornell handles sexual assault allegations. The university faces pressure from students, faculty and alumni demanding stronger action against fraternity members accused of assault and changes to the disciplinary process.
