Cornell University’s main administration building was vandalized overnight ahead of a planned student protest over the school’s handling of an alleged fraternity-house gang rape.
Holes were smashed into at least one glass door at Day Hall, and red-painted messages condemning patriarchy and the university’s approach to sexual assault cases appeared on adjacent walls, according to news photographs of the scene. The damage came as multiple student organizations prepared a Monday afternoon “Justice for Survivors” demonstration demanding changes to how Cornell processes sexual assault complaints.
Kyle Kimball, a Cornell spokesperson, said in a statement that the university was investigating the vandalism. “Damaging property is not the answer” to students’ “frustration and strong emotions,” he said. Campus police referred questions to his office, which declined to provide additional details about the incident.
The protest and vandalism follow an alleged October 2024 assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house, where a then-sophomore woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe says she was sexually assaulted by multiple men after being pressured to drink and take drugs. She told campus police in November 2024 that she “can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”
Jane Doe has since sued Cornell, seven former students, the fraternity and others. Her lawsuit alleges she became fully incapacitated as fraternity members assaulted her, and that one man sent messages inviting others to participate. Lawyers for two of the former students have denied they participated in a sexual assault. Attempts to reach the other men or their representatives have been unsuccessful, and court records show some accused students told Cornell investigators the sexual activity was consensual.
The case has drawn national scrutiny to the responses of Cornell, its police force and the local district attorney. No criminal charges have been filed. The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others. Last week, the administration pushed back against what it called the “false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case.”
Students have continued pressing for more accountability and transparency. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said Jane Doe was “failed by people and institutions” including the Cornell police and local District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. Hochul appointed the state attorney general last week to take over a criminal investigation that Van Houten had reopened days earlier, and she called for an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the matter.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff released an apologetic video on Saturday addressing the developments. “Jane Doe’s account raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use,” he said.
Kotlikoff reaffirmed his support for an independent review and pledged more transparency. “Finding the answers our community deserves,” he added, would remain a commitment.
