The former Cornell University student who claimed she was gang raped by seven fraternity brothers said she “felt like bait” during a 2025 hearing regarding her allegations.
The victim, who is identified as the alias Jane Doe, described her version of events in a 99-page report that the university prepared amid the investigation.
“I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in,” she said of the night of the alleged assault, according to ABC News.
Doe claimed in a civil lawsuit filed on September 16 that she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi house on October 19, 2024. After a night of drinking, she claimed she was pressured to snort ketamine, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol before she was gang raped by seven fraternity brothers.
While the incident allegedly started with two fraternity brothers, more men got involved after advertising there was “free p****” in a Snapchat group chat.
Doe reported the alleged incident weeks later, and none of the men faced criminal charges. Only two of the seven frat members were reportedly suspended for their involvement in the incident, while the others were ordered to write essays and attend workshops.
After Doe reported the incident to college police, Cornell conducted 50 interviews with 32 witnesses. While speaking to the men Doe accused of assaulting her, investigators determined that someone at the Chi Phi house had overdosed on ketamine one day before the alleged assault.
“Ketamine was a substance used by multiple individuals in the Chi Phi house at the time, including [redacted] who had overdosed on or about October 18, 2024,” the report said, per ABC News.
Doe told investigators that she had “vague consciousness” after she snorted the ketamine.
“So, lights are on, but nobody’s home. Your brain is not functioning at its proper level,” she said, according to the report. “I know it sounds super weird to say. I know it happened, but I don’t remember it.”
The report also included an apology from one of the fraternity brothers, which he made during the 2025 hearing.
“I was sorry that maybe if it wasn’t consensual and she was victimized, I was sorry for not stopping it,” he said. “And that I’m sorry I couldn’t tell if she was under the influence … just sorry that I felt like if something actually bad happened, I didn’t stop it.”
The university concluded that the unnamed fraternity brother did not engage in the assault, but he was found responsible for “attempted sexual exploitation.”
After Doe filed her civil lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced on Monday, September 28, that his office is reopening the case and plans to eventually present evidence to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
Cornell also issued a statement saying it supports the case being reopened, as well as insisting the school did its due diligence during the initial investigation.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
