Cornell Gang-Rape Lawsuit Sparks Debate Over Sex Positivity and Victim Shaming
On September 16th, a civil lawsuit was initiated by Jane Doe, who claims she was gang-raped by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house of Cornell University in October 2024 while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The lawsuit alleges that some of the men assaulted her while others used her body to snort ketamine, with fraternity members sharing comments on Snapchat, including one that stated "free pussy." In her police report, Jane Doe mentions one man losing his erection and another experiencing dry heaves. The article explores hazing practices in fraternity culture and cites a Wired investigation on nonconsensual explicit imagery. It also condemns victim-blaming and highlights Jane Doe's inconsistent remarks regarding consent, advocating for education on the importance of consensual sex.
Key facts
- Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit on September 16th alleging gang rape in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University
- Seven men allegedly assaulted her in the alumni room while she was incapacitated by drugs and alcohol
- Fraternity brothers used Snapchat during the incident, with one offering "free pussy" to over fifty others
- Jane Doe told police she initially agreed and was "excited" to have a threesome with two fraternity members
- Wired reported on the "burnerverse," where Maddie Kowalski, a University of Florida sophomore, was filmed without consent and posted by @SteveCumfull
- A 2023 Common Sense Media study found 73 percent of respondents aged 13 to 17 had watched porn online, more than half by age 13
- Reported rapes in the U.S. were higher in the early 1990s than today
- Jane Doe texted Matthew Ingalls that her reputation was destroyed and she was ashamed, and told another man 90 percent of what happened was not consensual
Entities
Artists
- Jane Doe
- Elizabeth Schambelan
- Ej Dickson
- Maddie Kowalski
- Dominique Pelicot
- Emma Camp
- Megyn Kelly
- Caitlin Flanagan
- Michelle Cottle
- Kate Manne
- Matthew Ingalls
- Winston Lee
- Lauren Berlant
- Mary Anne Franks
- Michael Tracey
- EJ Dickson
- Elon Musk
- Donald Trump
- Ruby Cramer
- Matt Walsh
Institutions
- Cornell University
- Chi Phi
- Snapchat
- n+1
- Wired
- University of Florida
- Delta Zeta
- Coco
- Wall Street Journal
- Common Sense Media
- The Free Press
- New York magazine
- The New Yorker
- George Washington University Law School
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative
- Cornell Daily Sun
- X
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Congress
- MAGA
- Freitag
Locations
- Cornell University
- Ithaca
- New York
- United States
- France
- Florida
- Arkansas
- Washington, D.C.