Cornell cancels homecoming concert as student organisers back assault accuser
Cornell University has cancelled its annual homecoming concert as a student-run organising group voiced support for a former student known as Jane Doe, who alleges she was sexually assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The group said it stands with survivors and called on the university to make meaningful changes to protect and support them.
The concert, due to feature Between Friends at Barton Hall on 17 October, had tickets priced at $17; refunds are expected within seven to 10 business days. Doe’s September lawsuit alleges that seven fraternity members assaulted her after she was coerced into consuming alcohol and drugs at a party in October 2024. The men deny the allegations and have not been charged; after an earlier investigation resulted in no charges, the district attorney’s office reopened the case and New York’s attorney general was appointed special prosecutor.
- Cornell has cancelled its homecoming concert.
- Organisers say they stand with Jane Doe and survivors.
- The reopened case has no criminal charges so far.
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A Cornell University student alleges that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted her at a party in October 2024. The woman, known as Jane Doe in legal documents, states she was given alcohol and drugs without her consent. The accused fraternity members have denied the allegations.
The allegations led to a lawsuit filed in September 2026. Local authorities initially conducted an investigation that resulted in no charges being filed, but the district attorney's office reopened the case. New York's attorney general has been appointed as a special prosecutor to review the matter further.
Sexual assault allegations at major universities typically generate significant discussion within campus communities about institutional policies and student safety. This case at Cornell is part of broader conversations on American university campuses about how institutions address such allegations and support people who report them.
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The case for
Student organisers' decision to support the accuser and withdraw the concert reflects a genuine institutional responsibility to stand with survivors of alleged sexual violence. The gravity of the allegations—involving multiple fraternity members and coercion—warrants the university taking seriously its obligation to foster a safe campus and respond meaningfully to survivor voices. By using their platform to amplify these concerns and pressure institutional reform, students are exercising legitimate advocacy for better safeguarding, particularly given broader patterns of inadequate campus responses to assault allegations.
The case against
The accused fraternity members remain uncharged and have categorically denied the allegations; an initial investigation yielded no charges, and the case's reopening reflects ongoing investigation rather than established wrongdoing. Cancelling an event attended by the broader student community imposes collective consequences based on unproven allegations, undermining the presumption of innocence and due process principles that should apply even to serious charges. Institutional action should derive from judicial determination rather than social pressure, and the accused deserve the opportunity to defend themselves through proper legal proceedings before their names and reputations are damaged.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Cornell cancels its homecoming concert as students rally behind Jane Doe amid gang rape allegations”.