An Ivy League crisis, a national wake-up call: How the Cornell 7 lawsuit impacted OH

Editor’s Note: The following article contains references to drug use and assault that could be triggering for readers.

When a case like the Cornell 7 captures the spotlight, the question isn’t just what happened there, it is what can people do to confront the same issues in one’s school and community.

The national news story created unrest around the country and locally at OH overnight. Talk of the Cornell 7 case spread throughout social media like wildfire, but why did this story specifically hit home in our halls?

The case sparked new conversations about consent, norms and culture. Female OH students especially reported the case unsettling for a variety of reasons.

“I didn’t know that [the message] was a group of 57 people. To see numerous people [sending] texts like that appalled [me]. Honestly, it made me really angry that it’s okay []and]] normalized to speak about women like that,” said OH senior Morgan Esbjorn.

Esbjorn refers to the woman as the anonymous former student using the pseudonym Jane Doe who filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and several students. Despite the lawsuit being filed on Sept. 16, she alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the fraternity’s house between the dates of Oct. 19 and 20, 2024, through a Snapchat sent to 57 of the Chi Phi fraternity members.

Doe, only 20 at the time, began her night consuming alcohol at a local bar, she later met up with her “friend” at the Chi Phi fraternity house where she claims to have been drugged with alcohol, marijuna, and ketamine. Following the drugging Doe was allegedly assaulted by numerous men over the span of seven hours.

“The way that they were talking about a human being as if she were an object was… horrible and disgusting. So it was very hard to read,” said OH junior Laura Carson.

The case especially resonated on social media when it was revealed that the many boys involved in the case were punished through essay writing. Although a few boys had harsher penalties, for the others this light consequence for their heinous acts stirred up anger, frustration and confusion among people globally, including students at OH.

“I first found out about it on TikTok and Instagram. I think that a lot of people can really relate [and] people are realizing it needs to be talked about more,” said Carson.

Although the case stems from New York, it generated a movement across social media surrounding sexual assault awareness.

Esbjorn was one of the many people who joined in on the social media movement by reposting the story on her Instagram.

“It’s my way of spreading awareness about the situation, and I guess it’s my way of sharing the facts and spreading awareness that, yes, this is a big case that’s public, but also it’s not the only case,” Esbjorn espressed. “This stuff happens all of the time. It happens locally, and this is just one step to bring awareness.”

The posts were plentiful and varied in stances. Different mantras such as I am Jane Doe, Educate your sons, and It is SA not Essay circulated social media, and intensified emotions.

As the news spread, OH students began developing their own opinions on the matter.

“Women need to be just as strong as boys,” Carson added. “They’re all equal, right? But then when something like this comes out, it just feels like it sets us back… It just feels very hurtful.”

Alongside frustration, students are now questioning whether themselves and peers will be prepared heading into college.

“Being a senior, we’re going to college next year. [Sexual assault] happens to people of all ages, but especially teenagers and young adults… it does make me nervous, but I also think that there’s a lot of things that have been put in place in some places to make campuses safer,” said Esbjorn.

The Cornell incident ignited many conversations about consent among those on social media and in schools. Consent is a voluntary and clear agreement for something to happen or someone to act.

“The only way that consent is definite, is if it’s a yes, not a maybe, or a no,” said Carson.

The incident especially brought attention to cases of consent under intoxication and alcohol consumption. “I know [in] Illinois nobody can give consent under the influence of any drug,” said OH health teacher Wendy Monn.

However the circumstance is different in New York, where the case took place. “In New York, I do know that intoxication or [being] under the influence of something doesn’t necessarily revoke your consent,” Monn added.

The importance of consent can not be disregarded. Emphasizing this to men and women throughout schooling is a good way to start.

“I think it’s important to be aware and advocate for consent and for ways to handle situations like this, so that we can control it in the future and make sure the environments that we are in are safe,” said Esbjorn.

OH does their part by providing programs such as mutual grounds, teaching students about personal safety, substance use, awareness, and healthy relationships.

“Our district has invested in Mutual Ground to give people a safe place. 
They don’t have to report to necessarily a staff member, but that’s an outside ancient agency that specifically deals with sexual assault or grooming,” said Monn.

Mutual Ground is an organization which, according to their website, “supports individuals and families impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, and substance abuse through education, awareness, and life change services.”

However, this case has students like Esbjorn questioning whether Mutual Ground is sufficient in preparing them for life after high school.

“I think that [Mutual Ground] is helpful, but it’s only once a year,” Esbjorn said, “and I think we can do it more than once a year. When people say stuff or they do stuff that is misogynistic… oftentimes, it’s very passed by and people don’t take action, and that’s especially when we need to take action…Give consequences..real consequences.”

Staff members want to stress their availability and commitment to ensuring students safety.

“Letting students know that you have adults here, like your counselors, and your social workers, and your psychologists that are in every single building, making sure that students know where these outlets are [and that] they’re here to support you,” Monn said.

The Cornell 7 case initiated conversations on social media and in the halls at OH. Matters surrounding consent and SA awareness were brought to light, alongside allowing OH to reflect on preventative measures they are taking to prepare students’ futures.

“Everybody is going to see it,” Monn said, “but who are the people that want to stand up and speak up?”