The key facts
- Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and the Chi Phi fraternity after an alleged incident in October 2024; the accused deny wrongdoing, no criminal charges have been filed.
- After her address was published online, police were called to the family home on a false report; the woman is undergoing trauma therapy and does not feel safe.
- The university president suspended fraternity parties until the end of the academic year; Attorney General Letitia James was appointed special prosecutor for the resumed investigation.
The lawsuit and public reaction
A woman known anonymously as Jane Doe has filed a civil lawsuit against her former university, Cornell University, and the Chi Phi fraternity, claiming that in October 2024 she was drugged and raped by several men at the fraternity house. The men, whom she is also suing, deny any wrongdoing; no criminal charges have been brought against them. When the story received wide publicity, solidarity posts saying 'I am Jane Doe' appeared, but at the same time a campaign was launched aimed at revealing her identity and defending the men.
The plaintiff's condition
On the eve of a hearing in the civil case on Friday in New York, lawyer Thomas Giffra told the BBC that his client's life had completely changed and that she 'feels under fire'. According to him, the past weeks have been very hard for her, and she is doing nothing but 'surviving'. She is undergoing trauma therapy, sleeps poorly and takes medication. After her address was published online without her consent, someone called the police with a false report — officers in tactical gear pointed assault rifles at her father, a friend and her brother in the family home. She and her family have received threats, and, according to her lawyer, she does not feel safe even at home: 'It is constant fear.' Despite this, her resolve has not wavered — she seeks to change the university system at Cornell and across the country to protect victims.
The university's response
Cornell University, which initially defended its disciplinary measures, admitted that it failed in handling Jane Doe's case. Under public pressure, the university's president announced a suspension of fraternity parties until the end of the academic year to review whether they can continue safely. The university also said it was adding sexual crime investigators to its own police force. Giffra, however, is surprised that the university has not contacted him and believes it is engaged only in 'damage control'. In his view, any settlement of the lawsuit must include measures guaranteeing that 'there will be no more new Jane Does', and if such cases recur — that victims will receive support. In response to a BBC request, the university referred to previous statements and comments on the 2024 internal investigation.
The criminal investigation and the lawsuit's prospects
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the resumed investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted. Giffra expects a full investigation to take a long time and is concerned that evidence has already 'aged': much of the correspondence was on Snapchat, where messages disappear. 'The best time to gather evidence is immediately after the crime, but that did not happen,' he said. At the same time, the lawyer believes he can win the civil case against the university, the men and other defendants, since the standard of proof in civil cases is lower: a 'preponderance of the evidence' is required rather than proof 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. 'I would not have taken the case if I did not consider it strong and winnable,' he concluded.
Image source, Getty Images 
Image source, Getty Images “I am Jane Doe” placards were seen being held during a rally in Manhattan against sexual violence on 8 October
