ALEX BUCKNAM
Editor In Chief
Reader discretion is advised. The following column discusses sexual assault.
On Sept. 18, The Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell University’s student-run newspaper, published its investigation into what happened to Jane Doe.
The Daily Sun had been investigating the case since 2024.
Student journalists spent years asking questions about a case they believed deserved answers. They kept reporting and kept digging.
It’s important to note that The Daily Sun is independent of Cornell University.
It is a journalist’s job to investigate. It is our job to ask questions when something does not make sense. It is our job to look at institutions and demand answers when the public deserves them.
But there is a difference between holding an institution accountable and having to uncover something an institution should have addressed and handled itself.
Student journalists should not have to be the reason a university finally looks at whether something went wrong.
It should be the university’s job to make sure that people feel safe and actually feel like the university would give their assaulters responsible punishments.
According to the initial report described in The Daily Sun’s investigation, the incident was initially documented as involving consent. The report also described Doe’s memory as fuzzy and indicated that the circumstances changed after the initial consent.
What followed in Doe’s initial report to Cornell came nowhere close to her saying she consented to what happened.
It frustrates me that people are discrediting her simply because of a message she sent the following day.
In what world does a victim need to confront what happened the second after it just happened?
Those details that she gave the Cornell police deserved more questions. They deserved follow-up.
But Cornell University didn’t fully follow it up. There’s even an issue regarding information she told the police that wasn’t even included in their report. To the point, the governor had to step in to make sure this got handled properly.
The case went to the Cornell Title IX office. The majority of the students involved had to write essays, while only one or two students were expelled.
But the situation deserved more. It deserved someone in a position of institutional authority to stop and ask what happened.
Instead, student journalists had to step in.
It doesn’t bother me that student journalism reported on this. It’s the fact that they had to report on it to keep it alive.
It bothers me that universities don’t follow up on situations or prosecute to the fullest extent simply because this is a “he said, she said” type of deal.
It bothers me that this information was not shared between Cornell University Police and outside law enforcement. Why was this never evaluated by the district attorney.
It bothers me that this is nothing new on college campuses. This case is nothing new. This happens everywhere, to the point that news media has stopped covering it because of how commonly it occurs.
It bothers me that so many women have stories about sexual assault, and that there are likely many more cases that go unreported.
Why didn’t anybody look at what happened and decide this required more? This required actual justice.
Not to mention that dozens of men were in the group chat, and nobody said anything in that moment. Instead, the majority of the men in the group chat just added on by making absolutely disgusting comments.
What I think would be responsible would look like this: An investigation into what really happened. Any men found guilty of sexual assault should be expelled. Men who sat and did nothing should take a class on the importance of “see something, say something” with a temporary, forced leave of absence.
Then, additionally, barring the fraternity until every member involved has left the university.
Even that feels like the bare minimum.
But that didn’t happen.
Cornell has said that expulsions and suspensions were issued in the case. But the majority of the men stayed on campus.
The university’s disciplinary process also found some students in the civil suit not responsible for sexual misconduct.
But questions about how the case was handled still remain. Like again, why did some of her statements not go in the report, why did the district attorney not know about this.
So please, to any administration reading this, please just listen. Please document everything.
Ask questions. Follow up. Watch the tea video. Listen to students and make them feel safe.
We all get that there are “federal restrictions,” but please, for the love of God, fight so that nobody in the future has this happen.
Students reading this may have already felt like you failed them.
Getting accurate information is hard. I don’t know how many cases of reported sexual assault were ended in expulsion.
Students who have a story, who reported it, and nothing happened, may distrust administration.
You can’t save that. You can learn from mistakes.
If this has happened at Fredonia, I wouldn’t be surprised by it, since research has found that sexual assault is widespread on college campuses and occurs to one in every three women.
So, please make sure that those people who have a story actually feel like the university has their back.
Please make sure those students feel safe reporting.
This isn’t me saying to suspend every defendant in a reported case, but to actually give the situation the proper due process it deserves.
Because that is where this failure lies.
Because failures like this mean people do not feel safe reporting.
Please, please help change the system so people feel safe reporting.
Please do not make my job as a journalist fighting to make sure a person gets justice.
Please do your role and show students you care and that you are here for them.
If anyone reading this has experienced sexual assault and felt like their voice was ignored, please keep fighting. Please don’t give up. You are cared for.
Below are resources if you or someone you know has experienced rape or sexual assault:
800-656-4673 — National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN)
