University sued over alleged fraternity gang sexual assault and punishing accused with essays

Cornell University is now facing a lawsuit, after a student alleged she was drugged and gang sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members in October 2024.

*This article contains details that may be upsetting.*

The student claimed she was attacked by seven members of the Chi Phi house, and has named them, as well as the university, and local organisations and bars claiming systematic negligence and failure to protect her as a victim. The lawsuit is demanding compensation and punitive damages, as the plaintiff dropped out of the university following the alleged attack. 

Cornell University expelled only two of the seven accused fraternity members, while the others received much lighter, highly criticised, sanctions such as essay writing. No criminal charges were brought, as local prosecutors claimed a lack of evidence, despite there being a Snapchat message thread of those accused discussing the alleged attack. 

In a 101-page civil complaint, the student alleged the incident took place in October 2024, at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. According to documents obtained by The Independent, she had been 20 at the time, and was visiting the house while intoxicated. 

She claimed two male students pressured her into taking a substance, which they had told her was ketamine. She was then sexually assaulted, before a message was allegedly send to a Snapchat group chat saying there was “free p****” and invited others to join.

via Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock

Multiple male students then arrived, and the plaintiff has claimed she was gang r*ped by seven men, in an assault that lasted hours. She alleged she was moved between rooms, drugs were snorted off her body, and she ultimately passed out. 

The incident seemingly unfolded further in the Snapchat group, with one message reportedly celebrating what happened. “I f****** love chi phi,” one member is claimed to have said. 

“Her dreams were destroyed by a group of men who sought to abuse and humiliate her,” the student’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told The Independent. “She was subjected to unspeakable horrors that I have not seen in my 30 years of handling abuse cases.”

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The incident was reported to the university around three weeks later, but the lawsuit has claimed the response was lacking. There was an internal investigation, and 12 hearings took place, but only two were expelled. The others had temporary suspensions, had to attend workshops, or were tasked with writing essays. 

“The arrogance and cruelty of these men was demonstrated in the fraternity group message which went to every single member of the fraternity inviting them to r*pe Ms. Doe,” Giuffra said. “It is truly disheartening that nobody tried to help her and instead laughing comments were made. The lack of humanity displayed was surprising for a group of men who are supposed to be the best and brightest.”

Court filings show that around November 8th 2024, temporary suspensions were issued for several male students who “were afforded the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to CORNELL.”

Cornell University has since defended its administrative procedures, and cited federal privacy laws regarding student records. “The Cornell Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations consistent with university policies,” the university said in a statement.

“The Xi chapter of Chi Phi fraternity remains barred from our campus. Federal privacy law prohibits Cornell from disclosing specific information regarding individual students and we therefore are unable to make a public statement on any other disciplinary response. Violations of university policies could lead to sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion. We will respond in detail through the legal process.”

Chi Phi also addressed the lawsuit, and in a statement to CBS News called the allegations “deeply concerning” and said it “takes the matter seriously”.

It said: “Chi Phi unequivocally condemns sexual violence. Our founding principles of Truth, Honour, and Personal Integrity, and our mission of Building Better Men, call on every brother to demonstrate character through his actions and respect for the dignity and safety of others. Sexual violence is fundamentally incompatible with those expectations.

“We are aware of the lawsuit concerning an alleged incident in 2024. While we cannot discuss the specific allegations during pending litigation, we take this matter seriously.”

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