Cornell rape lawsuit accuser faces death threats as campus crisis deepens [Photo/Courtesy]
A woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe is facing death threats and intense harassment after filing a lawsuit alleging that she was gang-raped at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.
Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told CNN that Doe has received hostile phone calls and explicit threats, while her family’s home was targeted in a “swatting” incident that brought armed police officers to the property.
Giuffra said he and his own family have also received threatening messages following the filing of the lawsuit.
The allegations have triggered widespread concern on the Cornell campus, with students staging a seven-hour sit-in outside the Toni Morrison Dining Hall to represent the length of the alleged assault.
The controversy has also intensified scrutiny of the university’s leadership, with faculty members considering a vote of no confidence and some members of the Cornell community calling for the resignation of President Michael Kotlikoff.
Cornell officials have confirmed that two of the students named in the civil lawsuit remain enrolled at the university and continue attending classes.
As concerns over campus safety and the university’s handling of the allegations grow, local and state authorities have begun taking action.
The Ithaca Common Council voted to temporarily suspend event and noise permits for university-affiliated student housing through early November.
Former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates has also been brought in to conduct an independent review of Cornell’s institutional procedures.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading an investigation into how campus police and local prosecutors handled the original allegations.
The accused students have denied wrongdoing. Lawyers representing one of the fraternity members named in the lawsuit said the sexual encounter was consensual and that their client believed Doe was an active participant.
The defence lawyers have also filed a motion in New York State Supreme Court seeking to remove James from the investigation, arguing that statements she made on social media demonstrate bias.
The case has also drawn wider attention to sexual assault and survivor support in the US. National support organisations have reported a sharp increase in survivors seeking help, with calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline reportedly rising by 73 per cent over the past week.