Approximately 80 Cornell University students staged a seven-hour sit-in on Wednesday, October 7, protesting the institution’s handling of a 2024 sexual assault allegation involving seven Chi Phi fraternity members. The demonstration, part of the "Zero Day" campaign, called for students to withhold spending on campus and skip classes to pressure the university for accountability.
Organizers framed the protest around the allegation made by "Jane Doe," a former student who claims she was drugged and raped during an incident at the fraternity in October 2024. Protesters gathered in the Toni Morrison dining hall, holding signs demanding "Justice for Jane Doe" and accusing the administration of failing to support the survivor and protecting the accused. The sit-in followed a campus rally on Monday where thousands participated, with demonstrators describing Cornell as "the rape school" and calling for systemic reform.
Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit on September 16 against the university, the seven fraternity members, the Tri-Delta Alpha Beta sorority, and a local bar. According to Cornell officials, two of the seven fraternity members named in the suit remain enrolled at the institution. The lawsuit alleges that the bar served alcohol to Doe on the night of the incident, while the sorority is accused of providing an unsafe living environment.
The protest organizers, including a coalition of student groups, stated in an Instagram post that the seven-hour duration symbolized the seven hours Doe endured during the alleged assault. A Cornell sophomore, Saya Taylor, addressed the earlier rally, saying Doe "deserved a campus that supported her" and an administration that delivered a fair judicial process. Taylor criticized the university’s response, stating that Doe was "silenced" by the institution’s inaction.
Cornell University has not publicly commented on the specifics of the lawsuit or the protest. The institution has previously stated that it takes allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and follows established procedures for investigations. The Chi Phi fraternity has not responded to requests for comment, and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the allegations.
The sit-in and rally reflect broader concerns about campus safety and institutional accountability at Cornell, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. The case has drawn attention to how universities handle sexual assault allegations, particularly involving Greek life organizations.