I lost count of the number of women I knew who experienced sexual violence on my college campus and how many of those instances happened in fraternity houses.
But when I saw that a district attorney in New York had reopened a sexual assault case involving seven men in Chi Phi at Cornell University who allegedly raped a young woman in October 2024, it took me back to those stories.
Jane Doe’s story is horrifying. It is an extreme scenario that deserves a full investigation from the Ithaca Police Department and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. But as The Cornell Daily Sun’s editorial board said in the editorial that brought this story into the national conversation, this problem is not unique to a single instance.
It’s been more
than a decade since I started college, yet somehow things have stayed the same. In 2015, when I was a freshman, 27.2% of female college seniors reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact. In 2020, that number still hovered around 1 in 4 women.
Cornell University failed Jane Doe, as colleges have failed the women who attend them since we were first allowed to become part of the campus community. Things aren’t getting better. That is why solutions must go beyond Cornell’s campus and come from within fraternity and sorority organizations themselves.
Jane Doe's experience is one many women know all too well
I was in Greek life for three years in college. I was a vice president for two of those years. The countless stories of sexual assault on campus seemed to follow one of two patterns.
Some of the cases were cut and dry – a person was forced to do sexual acts against their will, occasionally after being drugged without their knowledge.
Other times, the victims' stories were imperfect: They’d had too much to drink, they’d said “yes” before saying “no,” or they didn’t immediately recognize what happened to them as sexual assault. In those instances, the women I knew struggled to have their stories taken seriously.
Jane Doe’s recounting of the events to local police reminded me of so many friends who had similar experiences a decade ago. Her lawyers said criminal investigators never contacted her after her initial statement. The district attorney's office later said Jane Doe's statement was unclear.
My heart goes out to all the women who have been told their story was not perfect enough to be believed. It is the terrifying reality of a patriarchal society, and it is something that must change.
Greek life organizations have an obligation to make campus safer
The idea that there are no “real adults” in a fraternity house is a misconception. Many fraternities have advisers to ensure the chapter stays out of trouble with its national organization. Cornell even has a website that explains the vital role these advisers play.
These advisers, who are alumni of the organization and are often volunteers, need to recognize that their allegiance to the fraternity does not absolve them of the moral right to protect young people from sexual assault.
Chi Phi may no longer have a chapter at Cornell because of the lawsuit, but the organization's national chapter should still be part of the accountability process. It is necessary that Chi Phi’s Grand Council, the national board overseeing every chapter in the country, takes these allegations seriously, and not just because a few fraternity brothers got caught. The fraternity's national leaders should acknowledge this evidence of a culture that goes beyond Chi Phi, but one they can still change.
In fact, I would argue that Chi Phi’s leaders could pave the way for a new era of Greek life if they were willing to acknowledge the pervasiveness of rape culture within their organizations and others within the North American Interfraternity Conference. Jane Doe was also in Greek life, and the sorority would also have advisers.
While it is important for Jane Doe to remain anonymous to protect her safety, the Tri-Delta alumna helping run the Cornell chapter owe it to her and all of the women in their organization to take action on her behalf. If the advisers of her sorority care about the young women they oversee and truly want to change rape culture on college campuses, they will use this as a moment to put pressure on the Chi Phi Grand Council. It does not have to be public pressure, but it should be pressure nonetheless.
I'm sure these organizations do not want Cornell to forgo Greek organizations altogether. They likely disagree with Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, who has called for a moratorium on all campus events as the case moves through the justice system.
Ultimately, these fraternities and sororities care most about their bottom line. If they can't sustain members from an elite institution like Cornell as alumni members, their finances will suffer.
Greek organizations are long overdue for a wake-up call, and I'm not sure we'll ever see fraternity brothers genuinely care about the sexual abuse culture that festers in their houses. Women like Jane Doe need to push chapters to change things anyway.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cornell failed Jane Doe. Greek life must change from within | Opinion
