In the past couple of days, a lot of people have been talking about seven boys from Cornell University and the disgusting crime they committed; gang rape. But unfortunately, this conversation is not a new one, it is just one that has been ignored for decades. It is time for something to change. It is time to wake up.

In October of 2024, a Cornell student only identified as Jane Doe accused seven men of drugging and raping her in their fraternity house, Chi Phi. After an internal review of the accusations, Cornell decided that the acceptable punishment for the men was expulsion for two of them, and for the other five of them, to write an essay. Not one out of the seven were arrested, nor did they face any criminal charges.

But it does not end there, it gets worse. In 2026, two years after the event, Jane Doe filed a civil law suit against the seven males, Cornell University, Chi Phi Fraternity, her former sorority, and the bar that served her alcohol while she was underaged the night of the event. In this lawsuit, she describes in detail, what she remembered happened to her. 

She claimed that she had been drinking at a bar that was serving her alcohol, despite knowing she was underaged, before arriving at Chi Phi fraternity house around 11 pm, extremely intoxicated. After arriving she says that one fraternity member took her to a private area and proposed sexual activity including her himself, and another fraternity member. While she did not say “no” to these acts, the lawsuit claims she already was too intoxicated to consent at this point, making it rape.

She then claims that these two men pressure her to use ketamine, a drug she was unfamiliar with, as well as marjuana and alcohol and the rape continued even as she was becoming more and more incapacitated. 

At 1:42 am, texts were sent in a Chi Phi Snapchat group chat, alerting the other members that a woman was available for sex in their house. This triggered at least five more fraternity members to enter the private area were Jane Doe was to rape her at some point through out the night.

Jane Doe claims that this continued until 5:45 am, making the event around 7 hours long, and that during this time she eventually fell unconscious. 

If this story is proven correct, we are living in a world were men can rape a women for 7 hours straight and receive an essay as punishment. A world where women are never safe, even at some of the most respected universities. A world were a case of gang rape, seven men against one woman, is what finnaly gets people talking.

As a society we need to talk about rape. We need to stand behind women. We need to hold men accountable. We need to wake up. 

Written by junior Carly Vieira. Edited by staff writers for the Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.