Cornell students hold sit-in over alleged 2024 fraternity assault

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Wednesday’s protest illustrates the tense mood on the Ivy League campus following Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit.

Cornell University students began a seven-hour sit-in Wednesday in solidarity with Jane Doe, the woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity nearly two years ago.

“Seven hours for the seven hours she endured. Seven hours of solidarity. Seven hours demanding change,” a coalition of Cornell student groups said in a post on Instagram ahead of the demonstration.

Roughly 80 students had gathered inside a campus dining hall named for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison by around 3 p.m. Outside the building, students displayed posters bearing slogans such as “Justice for Jane Doe” and “Stop Protecting Rapists.”

The organizers said the sit-in is part of “Zero Day,” an “economic blackout calling on students to disrupt business as usual by not attending class or spending on campus.”

The protest illustrates the tense mood on the Ivy League campus following Jane Doe’s allegations that she was sexually assaulted and plied with drugs Oct. 19-20, 2024. She filed a civil lawsuit against the university and seven fraternity members last month, leading to renewed national attention on sexual misconduct and collegiate Greek life.

Three of the accused men have publicly denied the allegations through attorneys.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul effectively replaced Van Houten as lead investigator last week, appointing state Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the case. Cornell and Van Houten have publicly welcomed James’ involvement. “I trust that she will examine the facts and apply the law,” Van Houten said in a statement on Friday.

Wednesday’s sit-in was announced on Instagram by a group of campus organizations, including Black Students United, Cornell NAACP, Mecha de Cornell, Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Cornell, Students for a Democratic Cornell and a student-run chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“The sit-in will be a space for students to share their support for survivors of sexual violence in myriad ways, including the share of resources and teach-ins,” the student groups said on Instagram.

Reprinted from NBC News