The woman who accused members of a Cornell University fraternity of gang raping her is being targeted with threats, her lawyer said on the Oct. 4 edition of CNN's "State of the Union."
Thomas Giuffra, who represents Jane Doe, said that people have threatened to silence or harm her if she does not withdraw the civil lawsuit alleging that several members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and raped her in 2024.
"She's received multiple threats," Giuffra said.
He added that he has also been threatened.
"I'm not afraid of these people," Giuffra said. "The threats, the abuse to protect what's going on, the status quo — these guys are disgusting. They should stay in their mother's basement and stay out of the world."
Giuffra also addressed President
Donald Trump saying that the accused "won't get a fair shake" after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for the case.
"It has nothing to do with politics," Giuffra said.
Since the lawsuit was filed in September, the university as well as prosecutors in Tompkins County have been widely criticized for their initial handling of the allegations in 2024.
Cornell president breaks silence
Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff broke his silence on the case in an eight-minute video statement released on Oct. 3 by the university.
He said the allegations involving Jane Doe raise "heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use."
"What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come," Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff said Cornell’s board of trustees will announce next week an independent review by an outside law firm into the university’s handling of the 2024 case. He added that the university supports the appointment of James to oversee the case and would cooperate with the investigation and the independent review.
The university president also announced that the school will reexamine the role of Greek organizations on campus.
"We will reengage students, alumni, and other members of our community to examine how we preserve what is valuable about Greek life while strengthening individual accountability, transparency, and a culture in which every member understands their responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of others," he said.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cornell Jane Doe has received multiple threats, her lawyer says
