Cornell student government holds town hall on university's handling of the investigation into Jane Doe's gang rape allegations
Cornell University's student assembly gathered Thursday for a public hearing on sexual violence in the wake of Jane Doe's lawsuit alleging a gang rape at a fraternity house in 2024.
The town hall-style discussion was focused on the allegations and how the administration handled the investigation.
"We demand accountability, meaningful support for students, appropriate disciplinary action for those involved, and transparency from Cornell administration through a detailed multi-step plan explaining how the university will strengthen its sexual violence policies and prevent something like this from ever happening again," one speaker said.
Dozens of Cornell students spoke about their anger and disappointment over how the administration has handled sexual violence on campus.
Among them was sophomore Jane Wang, who said she was sexually assaulted her freshman year.
"When I was reading through Jane Doe's case and the reporting on the incident here, it literally felt like I was reading my own personal testimony with how I filed a Title IX case here at Cornell, as well," she said.
Students also addressed resolutions related to Cornell's response to sexual assault, including a review of how the university coordinates with law enforcement, calls to strengthen protections for sexual assault complainants, and the creation of an undergraduate task force.
"These types of sexual assault cases need to be treated, from day one, with the kind of attention and the kind of seriousness that our school is currently trying to put into this case," Wang said.
CBS News New York's Ali Bauman spoke to Cornell student Lydia Blum, the student assembly's vice president for policy, prior to the start of the town hall. She described the mood on campus as "mostly sorrow and just kind of a lot of sadness surrounding the case."
"People don't really know what to do with how they're feeling. That's why I am really excited about this hearing and creating more policies that are going to give students the voice they feel like they need right now," Blum added. "I feel like people just want to take action. They don't know where to, though, so I'm hoping the assembly and admin and different clubs can be here as resources for us in a time when we really, really do need it."
Blum says more town halls are planned.
Many students on campus are also organizing protests this weekend.
The Cornell administration has denied our requests for an interview.
