‘The Cornell Seven’ indicates wider issues regarding sexual violence on college campuses

Too often, outside pressure is required before administrators take action

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD — opinion@theaggie.org 

On Sept. 21, student-run newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun published an editorial exposing seven Chi Phi Fraternity members who drugged and gang raped a former university student in October 2024. Senior editor Cereese Qusba thoroughly investigated the case before shattering Cornell University’s silence with the news that the victim filed a lawsuit on Sept. 16 against the fraternity members, chapter and the university itself, among others. The editorial, titled “Cornell Won’t, We Will,” was published shortly after Qusba’s piece on Sept. 21, revealing the full names of the perpetrators after Cornell refused to share them. 

The lawsuit entails an account of the victim leaving her sorority group at a bar to hang out with her friend — a Chi Phi member — at his frat house. He and another fraternity brother further intoxicated her before a Snapchat message advertising “Free pussy” was sent in a Chi Phi group chat. A total of seven men assaulted, raped and snorted drugs off her body for seven hours — Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar, often referred to as “The Cornell Seven.” The remaining 50 men in the group chat were complicit, with none intervening or reporting the incident.

Cornell University failed to effectively intervene and deliver justice. While the institution filed a Title IX investigation and mitigated the issue by closing and barring the fraternity chapter from campus, only two students were expelled. The other five assailants were required to write essays detailing their misconduct, facing no further penalties. The remaining men in the fraternity group chat — who received the message and were aware of the rape — were unpenalized. No criminal charges were made. These results were determined by Cornell’s Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault.

Additionally, despite the horrific psychological trauma the victim endured, the university refused to provide her a tuition refund when she requested to take a semester off. She was effectively forced to complete another semester, resulting in her withdrawal from the university shortly thereafter.

It is clear that Cornell prioritized their own reputation over the education and well-being of the victim. Unfortunately, this has historical precedent at other universities across the nation. For instance, both Yale and Harvard dismissed sexual harassment reports against male authority figures Dr. Manual Lopes Fontes and Professor John Comaroff, respectively. “The Cornell Seven” is one of many cases disregarded by administrators showcasing how  institutional prioritization of the protection of men over women exacerbates gender-based disparities on college campuses.

There is a clear pattern of sexual violence occurring frequently on college campuses. Fall quarter is within “The Red Zone,” a period where 50% of annual sexual assault cases on campus occur due in part to the popularity of Greek life during rush season. It’s important to be conscious of potential factors that can increase risk in Davis, such as poor street lighting, frat rushes and Halloweekend. Awareness aids in safety, but it should never be the responsibility of victims to prevent the actions of perpetrators. 

The Editorial Board stands with sexual assault victims, regardless of whether the case has been formally reported. A lack of formal documentation does not forgo the experience. Sexual violence has always existed, but society need not treat it as inevitable. In dismissing the scope and severity of sexual violence, we reduce victims to a statistic that can be easily ignored.  

Addressing sexual assault is uncomfortable, but this case demonstrates the necessity of doing so. It wasn’t law enforcement or intervention professionals that exposed the truth of “The Cornell Seven” — it was brought to national attention only through the actions of student reporters. The initiative shown by these students opened up the possibility of wider conversations. Without their action, the perpetrators would never have faced any consequences, however, due to recent attention on the incident, the case was reopened by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten on Sept. 28. 

“Our reporting is also bringing to light that this is not an isolated incident and that people have experienced similar things in Greek life, whether at Cornell or other universities,” Qusba told The Cut. “Our coverage was absolutely completely raw from the lawsuit and nothing was concealed. At a minimum, that’s what we can do as the student newspaper.”

When institutions fail to protect students, student journalists have proven their role in holding campus leaders accountable. This is precisely why independent journalism is crucial to preserving the truth — it allows reporters to bring attention to what administrators might prefer to keep under wraps, and therefore allows the public to demand proper consequences for perpetrators. But while student journalists can and do conduct important work, it ultimately falls on administrators to lead their campuses in creating a safer environment for all students.

UC Davis offers resources such as the Center for Advocacy, Resources & Education and the Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program that allows students to anonymously report incidents for documentation or request action. Title IX Officer Danésha Nichols can be contacted at dnnichols@ucdavis.edu.

Written by: The Editorial Board — opinion@theaggie.org