Some high school students stop applying to Cornell as frat rape-case scandal grows

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The scandal engulfing Cornell University over a woman’s allegations that she was gang-raped at a fraternity house has caused some prospective students to shun the Ivy League school, college advisers warned.

A former student identified as Jane Doe sued Cornell and seven male fraternity members, alleging that she was drugged and sexually assaulted for hours in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. No arrests have been made in connection to the case, and the local district attorney has said he is reopening the case in light of the civil suit.

Cornell is under fire for its response to the allegations, and Doe has accused the school of failing to protect her or adequately punish those responsible.

Prominent college advisers told the New York Post that several high school students they work with have scrapped plans to apply to Cornell as a result.

“All seven of the college applicants we work with for 2027 who planned to apply Early Decision to Cornell have decided not to apply at all,” Amanda Uhry, the founder of Manhattan Private Schools Advisors, told the newspaper.

“The parents will not permit them to go after what happened,” Uhry said of the seven prospective college students she is advising. “Nobody’s thinking about [applying to] Cornell anymore.”

College consultant Christopher Rim of Command Education said his clients are “shocked” about how Cornell has handled the incident. His international clients are particularly worried and have asked him whether it’s “how all U.S. schools” handle serious allegations.

“Parents who live halfway around the world just want to know their kids are in a safe environment,” he said. “And that remains to be seen.”

At the time of the alleged assault, Doe was 20 years old and a member of a sorority on campus, according to the 101-page complaint filed September 14 in New York County Supreme Court.

The lawsuit alleges that Doe was intoxicated and visiting a friend at the frat house when two male students pressured her into snorting a substance they claimed was ketamine in October 2024.

Multiple male students arrived at the house throughout the night, and Doe was subjected to an hours-long assault by seven of them, according to the complaint.

The filing details graphic abuse including men snorting lines of ketamine off her body, moving her between rooms and continuing to rape and sexually assault her while she was incapacitated.

Doe reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department three weeks later, and an internal Title IX investigation began in January 2025. However, Doe’s attorney Thomas Giuffra told The Independent that Cornell’s response was severely lacking.

Out of the seven male students named in the civil filing, two were expelled from the university, according to Doe’s legal team. The other students allegedly involved were said to have received lesser punishments, which reportedly included temporary suspensions, required workshops or essay-writing assignments.

Following the uproar over the case, New York prosecutors are reopening the investigation. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office is weighing whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, but said the allegations in the civil complaint are “dramatically different” from the woman’s statement to police at the time.

Lawmakers and public figures have condemned the alleged perpetrators and the university, including actors Florence Pugh, Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad and Hudson Williams.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had “serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response” in a statement. New York Attorney General Letitia James is also reviewing the university’s response to the allegations.

Cornell issued a statement supporting the DA’s decision to reopen the case, and pushed back against allegations that the school “did not impose consequential punishments for those involved.”

“A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault,” said Kyle Kimble, Cornell’s vice president for university relations.

Attorneys representing the named fraternity members have vigorously denied the claims in the lawsuit.

For those affected by rape and sexual abuse, if you are in the United States, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673).

Rape Crisis also offers support. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk.