Cornell students demand changes after sexual assault lawsuit in Tompkins County
Undergraduates rallied in Tompkins County as a lawsuit challenged campus sexual violence procedures. The demonstrations followed claims from a student regarding an assault at a 2024 fraternity gathering.
The victim filed a civil lawsuit regarding the incident. Demonstrators stated the current campus disciplinary process failed to safeguard attendees.
Jack Huber belongs to the advocacy group Students for a Democratic Cornell. He spoke about the ongoing unrest across the grounds.
“The atmosphere on campus is outraged at a judicial system that has failed Jane Doe and countless others. The student body is very unified in making demands for a new system that would adequately protect all students, as we have seen in numerous protests this week.”
Campus records show 1,200 reported instances of sexual violence between 2018 and 2024, Huber said. He noted that only seven of those cases resulted in expulsion.
University police collected 120 pages of victim statements from Jane Doe, according to reports. Officers condensed the material into a six-page document for local prosecutors. That shorter summary excluded the word rape.
Protesters gathered this week. They demanded university administrators stop hiding reports.
The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office planned a renewed inquiry following the civil legal complaint. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul then intervened in the matter. She reassigned the investigation.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten lost jurisdiction over the inquiry. Hochul cited a failure by his staff to run a thorough review. She named New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
The state attorney general acts as a special prosecutor when regional officials step aside from active proceedings. Such outside appointees review case files independently.
Huber expects persistent outside pressure will alter administrative conduct in Tompkins County. He stated that outside attention remains vital to force administrative reforms.
