'Absolutely disgusted': Cornell gang rape allegations spark fury online - USA Today

Reactions are pouring in online as details emerge about a former Cornell University student who alleges seven fraternity members drugged and raped her in October 2024.

The student, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a lawsuit against the university and the seven alleged attackers, according to multiple outlets.

Two of the seven alleged attackers were expelled while the other fraternity members received lesser punishments such as submitting essays, Doe’s attorney Thomas Giuffra said, according to the outlets. None of the members were arrested, Giuffra said.

The allegations quickly spread online, with many reacting with fury over the reported disciplinary actions taken by the university. In response, some online creators took matters into their own hands, posting videos about the situation and sharing the alleged abusers' names and photos − details not made public in Giuffra's statements or the victim's lawsuit. One such video racked up more than 130,000 views on TikTok; many had thousands of comments and reposts.

"Someone told me I shouldn’t help spread pictures of the Cornell 7 guys, because it might destroy their lives. Sweetie, that’s what I’m counting on," one user posted to X, garnering more than 50,000 views.

"It makes me sick I'm absolutely disgusted over this," one person commented on a different post. "I'm terrified of sending my daughter to college," another said.And on Sept. 21, the The Cornell Daily Sun student newspaper published the names of all of the alleged attackers in a post that also lambasted the university.

"Cornell has failed to protect its students. Cornell has failed to address the growing issue of sexual assault on campus with its pathetic task force," the paper's editorial board wrote. "Cornell has failed her. Cornell has failed us."

Experts say it's not uncommon for conversations like these to spark strong responses. Advocates for sexual violence survivors note there are several ways to help while also taking into account both the victim's feelings and bystanders' safety − one of those ways is to challenge the status quo when things like this occur.

In this case, that conversation is taking place in viral spaces online.

While frustrations have been fired at the school and alleged attackers, fury also abounds for those who knew of the allegations but didn't speak up.

According to reports on the court filing, one of the men sent a message to a Snapchat group chat called “Chi Phi Actives,” telling others what was going on upstairs at the time of the alleged gang rape.

"Your boys may not be the seven, but they're friends with the seven," one user posted to TikTok in a video about the alleged incident with more than 2 million views. "Your boys may not be going and partaking in what they are offering in this Snapchat, but they are on the Snapchat... You think you are above it because you did not go but you also did not save her."

"The fact not ONE helped save her… not ONE!" one person commented on the allegations.

"Unfortunately, this is been going on for hundreds of years. It’s called the patriarchy. Men do not hold other men accountable," another wrote.

"Good and ethical men need to stand against evil men," another person wrote on a different video.

According to experts, creating spaces that are intolerant of sexual violence is key to preventing it.

"One of the best predictors that a man will commit an act of sexual violence is that he belongs to a community that tolerates sexism," Nicole Bedera, a sociologist who studies sexual violence, previously told USA TODAY. "A lot of men who've committed acts of sexual violence have never had anyone raise any reservations about their behavior to them before."

Experts say when violence is occurring, there are several ways to try to help while also taking into account the bystander's safety.

"We all have a role to play in disrupting and ultimately ending sexual violence," Indira Henard, president and CEO of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, previously told USA TODAY.

An "engaged bystander," according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, recognizes that preventing sexual violence can include intervening before, during or after someone witnesses or hears about behaviors that encourage abuse.

For most people, experts say intervening won't look like ripping a stranger off a victim in a public setting but rather challenging a culture that repeatedly minimizes and excuses sexual violence.

"When we're silent, whether that's out of fear or uncertainty – we are inadvertently condoning the behavior," Laura Palumbo, communications director at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, previously told USA TODAY.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.