We are briefly revisiting the #MeToo era as a result of the public debate around the “Cornell 7” case, though this time around, I hope we can have a different conversation.
Prosecutors in New York have reopened the investigation of an alleged “gang rape" at a Cornell University fraternity in 2024 after a former student (“Jane Doe”) filed a civil lawsuit claiming that she was drugged, assaulted, and raped by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The woman’s initial statement to Cornell police officers is what led them not to seek criminal charges, as the story conveyed consent and that she was aware of the choices she was making. According to Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, the plaintiff “described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.” The evidence available makes it sound as though Jane Doe, who was 20 years old at the time, was drunk and high, and didn’t remember everything clearly, but was not unconscious or in a blackout.
Now, not only is she is saying she was raped, but that she said as much in 2024.
