Former Cornell student files lawsuit alleging gang rape by fraternity members and university negligence
A former Cornell student has sued the university and seven fraternity members, claiming she was drugged and sexually assaulted in a fraternity house and that the school’s response was inadequate.
A former Cornell University student filed a civil complaint on September 14 in New York County Supreme Court alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted for several hours in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, said she was intoxicated while visiting a friend and was pressured to snort a substance she was told was ketamine. After an initial assault, a message was posted in the fraternity’s Snapchat group inviting other members to join, and she alleges that seven men subsequently participated in the assault.
Doe reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department on November 8, 2024. An internal Title IX investigation began in January 2025 and included at least 12 hearings, but her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said the university’s actions were insufficient. Of the seven students named, only two were expelled; the others received temporary suspensions, required workshops, or were asked to submit essays as part of their disciplinary measures.
The lawsuit also names two local bars and several university-affiliated individuals as co-defendants, alleging they failed to monitor or protect the victim. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office concluded that there was insufficient evidence for criminal charges. Cornell University responded that its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct investigated the allegations in accordance with university policy and that the Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus, but cited federal privacy laws as limiting further comment.
The national Chi Phi fraternity headquarters issued a statement saying it condemns sexual violence and is taking the lawsuit seriously, while an employer of one of the accused students said it was reviewing the situation. Doe, who withdrew from Cornell after the incident, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for breach of contract, negligence, and other claims.