BUZZ
Newly released text messages published by the New York Times about the alleged drug-fueled gang rape at a Cornell University frat house in 2024 reveal how Jane Doe initially described the incident as a “soul bond” before changing her mind after malicious gossip spread about her.
Doe in September sued Cornell and the seven male students allegedly involved in the incident at the fraternity house, and in the weeks after the complaint was filed, text messages between her and the defendants were leaked to the media.
In the days after the 2024 incident, Doe described the encounter as a “gangbang,” wrote that “none of the sexual stuff was illegal,” and expressed that she had made her own choices, texting: “our body, our choice.”
A few weeks later, she told campus officials she was incapacitated and coerced and believes she was raped.
On Nov. 7, the Times published a new set of text messages that further reveal how Doe changed her mind about the incident after gossip calling her a slut spread across campus, she was disinvited to a Halloween party, got a UTI from the sexual encounter, and read online she was drugged and raped.
“The messages were contained among more than 1,000 pages of university files obtained by The New York Times, and [are reproduced] with minimal edits so that they can be viewed in their full context,” the newspaper reported.
In one of the earlier texts, Doe wrote: “i really do still think highly of chi phi and im not a person to pretend i don’t know people after any sexual affair no matter the magnitude. so i do look forward to seeing yall around. while we’re all obviously denying what happened to anyone who asks, i hope that we can joke about all this (in private obv) later down the line.”
“also i do remember there were two scotty’s?? unless i was getting fucked w but one of them sat beside me and told me to take a few minutes before i got up and i really appreciated his care for my wellbeing. sometimes it’s easy to feel a little dehumanized in a heated sexual situation and i appreciated his pausing for me to collect myself. if u wouldn’t mind telling him i said thank u that would be great,” she continued.
“i think we all have a soul bond now cause very few people can say they’ve had an experience like that. while it’s good to keep it away from the public i don’t think it’s something to feel ashamed of in private. thank god there are two scotty’s that was literally the trippiest part of the night,” she added.
But the texts from Doe became progressively more negative as the gossip spread: “bro everyone knows … i’m incredibly stressed out,, some random bitch [classmate] told some of my friends i don’t even know who that is how tf she know me???”
“i will also say this is fucking RUINING my life temporarily,” Doe added. “my reputation is destroyed and i’m utterly ashamed/ i’m fucking pissed cause this many people shouldn’t know and i feel like i know who some of the rats in the room were. if i ever find out i swear to god its in sight.”
About 10 days after the incident, she becomes angry with one of the frat members who she thought was her friend, the texts show. Online chatter also began to describe the incident as rape. On Oct. 30, she becomes angry at being disinvited to Chi Phi’s upcoming Halloween party.
“i knew this was going to happen,” Doe texted. “the woman will always get the short end of the stick. yall aren’t my friends. yall are covering your asses.”
Two weeks after the initial incident, Doe begins to describe the encounter as non-consensual and seeks medical attention.
The so-called Cornell 7 have all denied wrongdoing and have not been criminally charged, although Cornell officials, as well as New York authorities, have re-opened investigations into the case.
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