Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details.
Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Cornell University amid allegations of gang rape involving a student. AOC accused elite institutions of protecting a “culture of rape, sexual assault, and pedophilia.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery response to allegations at the center of the Cornell Chi Phi lawsuit
The 36-year-old politician is among the latest public figures calling for the case to be reviewed again. She also wants Cornell to properly address the allegations and concerns surrounding the investigation.
AOC, who represents New York’s 14th Congressional District, spoke at the Students vs. Billionaires town hall event in Ithaca. She said, as stated by The Cornell Daily Sun, “Jane Doe, that survivor, lost her education because you can’t stay in school when something like that happens to you. She had to lose her education, and those men were protected by an institution and granted an Ivy League degree as a reward. Never again.”
She continued, “The culture of rape, sexual assault, and pedophilia is protected in elite institutions across the United States, including Cornell University … it has got to stop. This entire country is sick and tired of not just financially corrupt, but morally corrupt leadership.”
The remarks come after a former Cornell student filed a lawsuit against the university and seven fraternity members on September 16. She alleged that several men at the Chi Phi fraternity house forced her to consume drugs before they gang-raped her on October 19, 2024. She was 20 years old at the time.
According to the lawsuit, one of the men posted in a Snapchat group chat called Chi Phi Actives. He allegedly wrote that there was “free p***y” upstairs. The filing alleges that other men then joined the alleged assault. It reportedly continued until around 5:45 a.m. Doe reported the alleged incident to the Cornell University Police Department on November 8, 2024. Cornell later temporarily suspended the Xi chapter over alleged violations of its Student Code of Conduct.
The lawsuit says the university also temporarily suspended the seven named defendants. The defendants are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar, the outlet revealed in an earlier report. However, the university gave them an opportunity to mitigate the alleged conduct by submitting essays.
Doe said she left Cornell after the alleged incident. The case initially ended without charges. However, renewed public attention has prompted prosecutors to reopen the investigation.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).