Cornell Lawsuit Alleges Assault; Ketamine Emerges as Key Factor
In short
A former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe has filed a lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024. The lawsuit says fraternity members pressured her to take ketamine for the first time and that the men later snorted the drug off her body. All seven men have denied wrongdoing, saying any sexual contact was consensual; none has been charged with a crime.
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A former Cornell University student who identifies herself as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that she was sexually assaulted by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024, according to the Boston Globe. The lawsuit says she was pressured by some fraternity members to take ketamine with them — her first time using the drug — before the assault. It also says that before the night was over, all seven men snorted lines of ketamine off her body. [ 2 ]
The Boston Globe reported that the account appears in more than 1,000 pages of Cornell University files obtained by The New York Times, in which the word ketamine appears hundreds of times. In her initial interview with campus investigators in November 2024, Jane Doe said a combination of drugs and alcohol — she had been drinking heavily before arriving at the fraternity and continued drinking there — made it impossible for her to consent to sexual activity that night. She said she did not remember taking the first hit of ketamine, only realizing she had done so later when a Chi Phi brother asked if she wanted “more” ketamine. “Whenever the ketamine went down, I would say, is when things really start becoming a problem,” she told investigators. [ 2 ]
All seven men have denied any wrongdoing, saying that any sexual contact that night was consensual, according to the Boston Globe. None has been charged with a crime. [ 2 ]
The New York Times reported that ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, has gained popularity as a party drug, including among a certain social set on Cornell’s campus. CBS News reported that the case has provoked questions about ketamine use on campus. The Boston Globe said the case has spurred outrage and debate about sexual assault and consent on college campuses nationwide. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The case has spurred outrage and debate about sexual assault, consent and drug use on college campuses nationwide, the Boston Globe reported. It also draws attention to ketamine’s growing popularity as a party drug, which the New York Times said has taken hold among a certain social set at Cornell. The documents do not indicate what consequences, if any, the lawsuit or campus proceedings will produce.
Key facts
- A former Cornell University student who identifies as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The lawsuit says she was pressured by fraternity members to take ketamine for the first time before seven men sexually assaulted her, and that the men later snorted ketamine off her body. [ 2 ]
- In a November 2024 interview with campus investigators, Jane Doe said drugs and alcohol made it impossible for her to consent to sexual activity that night. [ 2 ]
- All seven men have denied any wrongdoing, saying any sexual contact was consensual; none has been charged with a crime, according to the Boston Globe. [ 2 ]
- More than 1,000 pages of Cornell University files obtained by The New York Times contain hundreds of references to ketamine, the Boston Globe reported. [ 2 ]
- Ketamine has gained popularity as a party drug, including on Cornell’s campus. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The case has prompted questions about ketamine use on campus, according to CBS News. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether any of the seven men will face criminal charges. No charges have been filed, according to the Boston Globe, and the documents do not say whether an investigation is ongoing.
- Whether the seven men are Cornell students or only fraternity members. The documents refer to them as Chi Phi fraternity members and “the men” but do not specify their enrollment status.
- The men’s denial that any wrongdoing occurred is reported only by the Boston Globe. Only one document carries the men’s account; no other outlet independently states it.
- The status of the lawsuit and any campus disciplinary outcome. The documents describe the filing and an interview with campus investigators but give no rulings or conclusions.