NU sororities and fraternities post statements condemning alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell

Editor’s Note: This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence or harassment, help is available. You can visit The Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern to file a report, and view information for supporting survivors. Survivors may also contact RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. Several Northeastern Greek life organizations posted statements on Instagram this week as support pours in for a former Cornell University student who alleged seven Chi Phi fraternity members of gang raping her in 2024. The former student, identifying as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against Chi Phi and Cornell Sept. 16, according to reporting from The Cornell Daily Sun. The case has quickly gained national attention, sparking widespread conversation about how universities handle sexual assault cases. According to the lawsuit, on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, Jane Doe arrived at the Chi Phi house to meet her friend, a brother at the fraternity. Once there, she alleges she was forced to take drugs and raped over the course of several hours by seven men, including the friend. Northeastern Panhellenic, the governing council for social-Greek lettered sororities on campus, posted on Instagram Oct. 1 in support of Jane Doe and provided links to resources, including the National Sexual Assault Hotline and the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern University. “Northeastern Panhellenic stands in solidarity with Jane Doe, the victim in the Chi Phi case at Cornell University, and with all survivors of sexual assault and violence,” the organization wrote in the post. “As organizations built on female empowerment, we will not look away,” it wrote. “We all bear a responsibility to create a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment where everyone can exist without fear.” Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten wrote in a Sept. 28 statement that Jane Doe’s statement to police in 2024 “described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.” (The New York Times reported Oct. 1 that Cornell police excluded parts of Jane Doe’s interview after the incident where she said she had been raped when corresponding with Van Houten.) New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to conduct a criminal investigation. Northeastern’s chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, which is member of the Interfraternity Council, or IFC, wrote in a statement posted to their Instagram that story sexual violence is “never acceptable.” “Taking advantage of someone who is under the influence and unable to consent is never acceptable under any circumstances,” Beta Theta Pi posted. “Not speaking up while being aware of the situation is never acceptable.” In an Oct. 2 statement, Northeastern’s IFC wrote that “fraternity culture is our culture, and its failures are ours to confront.” “We are disgusted by what Jane Doe endured, and we know our community is not immune to it,” the IFC wrote. They went on, “We intend to follow this with action, and we encourage our community to hold us to it.” In an Oct. 1 statement from Northeastern’s chapter of Alpha Chi Omega, the sorority included resources for survivors, including the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Northeastern’s We Care office. “In Alpha Chi, raising awareness for domestic violence and supporting survivors is at the heart of our philanthropy. These issues affect people we love, people we know, and people in our own community,” the sorority wrote. “To Jane Doe and to every other survivor, we want you to know that we hear you, we believe you, and we stand with you,” Alpha Chi Omega posted. Northeastern’s chapter of Sigma Kappa addressed its members, community and “every survivor” in its statement, writing that violence “of any kind has no place at Northeastern. We are committed to listening, learning, and supporting those both inside and outside of our sisterhood.” Editor’s Note: This story was updated Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m. to add context about Van Houten’s decision to not bring criminal charges against the seven men in 2024. The post NU sororities and fraternities post statements condemning alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell appeared first on The Huntington News.