Students, faculty rally at Columbia University in support of Cornell's Jane Doe
Many Columbia University students and professors gathered in Manhattan on Thursday in support of Jane Doe, the alleged victim of a 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house.
Rally organizers want Columbia to strengthen its own response to cases of sexual violence, they say, to ensure that something like the alleged incident at Cornell would be handled differently at Columbia.
Marisol Bonifaz is a sophomore at Barnard, Columbia's affiliated women's college, and a sexual assault survivor.
"This is part of a broader movement, and we're reforming the systems that we have to make sure that survivors are both valued, respected and that justice is served to them," Bonifaz said.
Almost all of the female students that spoke to CBS News New York said the details of Jane Doe's allegations and Cornell's handling of them makes them angry. So does the fact that none of it surprises them.
"I'm angry, but I'm also here to fight for what we need," student and organizer Addie Turek said.
"To see everything that's unfolding at Cornell, I've been so infuriated by the silence of institutions, but also so empowered and inspired by the turnout here," freshman Josselyn Wolf added.
The rally wasn't just in solidarity with the alleged Cornell victim. Organizers said they were calling for action at Columbia as well, demanding that the university cut ties with any faculty members or administrators with ties to Jeffrey Epstein. There is Justice Department documentation of Epstein's connections to the university.
A university spokesperson did not comment when asked about the Epstein-related claims at the rally, but did offer the following statement:
We are continually strengthening our systems to better support survivors. Columbia has built one of New York State's most comprehensive campus-based sexual violence response programs, with services at our Morningside, CUIMC, and affiliated Barnard campuses, and the state's only campus-based rape crisis center certified by the New York State Department of Health. Trained advocates are available 24/7, every day of the year. Additionally, our Title IX Division, as part of the Office of Institutional Equity, serves as a centralized resource, offering support and assistance to all University students who have experienced or are accused of sexual misconduct. Together with the Title IX investigators, the Title IX team trains almost 13,000 students a year, mostly in person, including all new students, student leaders, and athletes. Importantly, one of the goals of these trainings is prevention and reminding students how crucial bystander intervention is in achieving that goal.
Meanwhile, students held a sit-in protest at Cornell on Wednesday to demand changes to the administration and an end to Greek life at the school.
A Cornell spokesperson said the protests have been peaceful and added, "The administration is listening, and these conversations are an important part of the work ahead."
