How Cornell frat brothers allegedly contacted Jane Doe ‘almost every day’ in ‘damage control’ attempt, according to students
Doe filed a civil complaint alleging that she was gang raped by members of Chi Phi
NEED TO KNOW
- Cornell fraternity brothers allegedly contacted a woman — who accused seven Chi Phi members in a sexual assault lawsuit— in the aftermath of the alleged incident, per ABC News
- According to the report, members tried “damage control” to make sure the woman was “not upset about the situation”
- The woman’s friend reportedly said they contacted her every day
Fraternity members accused of sexual assault in a civil complaint allegedly attempted “damage control” in the aftermath of the initial accusations, according to a report.
A former Cornell student filed the complaint under the name Jane Doe, alleging that she was gang raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024.
ABC News reported, citing university records, that in the aftermath of the alleged incident, students told authorities some Chi Phi members tried “damage control” to make sure Doe was “not upset about the situation.”
“The only way for me to heal is to know what happened,” the woman told one of the seven members she would later accuse, according to ABC, which obtained a recording of the call. “That’s why I’m trying to just piece it together, you know, like I’m just like confused.”
ABC also reported that one of Doe’s friends told authorities that the members regularly contacted Doe after the alleged incident.
“They tried to contact [her] almost every day after it happened to, I guess, keep them on her good side and keep her happy and not upset about the situation,” the friend reportedly said.
In the civil complaint filed by Doe in September, she claimed that she was drugged with ketamine during the course of the alleged assault, which lasted hours.
According to the complaint, one member sent a Snapchat message to a group of Chi Phi members saying there was “free p—-,” in an apparent reference to the plaintiff.
Years before she filed the civil complaint, Doe reported the incident to campus police. Prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges at the time.
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But after Doe filed her lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten released a statement saying that her initial statement to police had differed from the allegations made in the complaint.
Van Houten also said his office was reopening the investigation, though as the case became the subject of a media storm, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had lost confidence in local prosecutors and appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the case going forward.
Cornell said it also investigated the allegations and the fraternity members received a range of punishments, including expulsions and suspensions.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
