EDITORS' CORNER
OPINION: Frat bros aren’t guilty because they don’t monitor Snapchat throughout the early morning, live elsewhere
Jane Doe’s defenders and the compliant media want people to think 57 Cornell University frat bros knew that she was being raped and failed to intervene – but this is a myth that must die.
Amherst College psychology Professor Catherine Sanderson said “what I find most tragic about the events at Cornell is that reportedly over 50 men on a group chat learned about the assault as it was happening.”
“Yet there’s been no public report that any of them tried to stop the assault, help the victim or contact campus or local police departments,” Sanderson wrote in The Conversation on Oct. 1.
“From what we know, many of the men in the chat stayed silent,” USA Today columnist Sara Pequeno wrote, also suggesting “up to 57 members chose to be loyal to the fraternity instead of helping someone who was heavily intoxicated and needed help in the face of graphic messages.”
A group called “Lauren’s Kids,” repeats the claim in a Facebook video: “57 boys were in the Cornell fraternity group chat. Not one spoke up.”
These claims sound terrible. And for academics and the media, they reinforce the idea that the “patriarchy” is coming back, or that frat bros are privileged misogynists.
But when hysteria is running rampant and everyone feels the need to pick a side, it is more important than ever to use logic and clear thinking to cut through the noise. For at least six reasons, this claim should be seriously questioned.
First, it has yet to be verified there were 57 members in the Snapchat group. The claim is extrapolated from the fact there appears to have been 57 active members of the fraternity at the time of the alleged rape. We know some were in the chat, because those accused in the lawsuit are also seen in the group chat.
But just because a group is called “Chi Pi Actives” does not mean everyone in the fraternity is in the group chat.
The primary source for the 57 number is Jane Doe’s attorney, who already botched his first attempt at correctly naming the president of the frat at the time.
Second, not everyone who is in the fraternity lives in the house. The media would have you believe there were 57 or so guys all within striking distance of the gangrape who could have risen out of their beds, stormed the room, and rescued Jane Doe.
Third, the chats and sexual activity only occurred during a roughly four hour period in the early morning. It cannot be the standard that frat bros, whether they live in the house or not, are under a moral obligation to monitor a group chat at all hours of the day and night, just in case something nefarious might be occurring.
Even the guy who took a photo of the chat and gave it to Jane Doe had his notifications turned off, as evidenced by a note at the top of the photo. People do not keep their chats on at all times, and I mute chats regularly to not get distracted.
I doubt the columnists and commentators that are maligning these men want to be held responsible for every crime that might happen in their neighborhood from 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Fourth, two frat members did intervene, and and at least one, Scott Kretzschmar, is now being accused of letting the rape happen. He said he went into the room for a few minutes, spoke to Jane Doe, and left because she seemed not to be distressed.
This gets to reason number five to doubt the aspersions on the frat bros: It is not clear that they would know a rape was going on; something gross, sure, but probably not out of line with the normal fare for a frat group chat.
Doe herself did not even say at first that she was a victim, but the Chi Pi members are supposed to have known, according to their critics.
As Doe wrote to one of the participants, “at the end of the day non of the sexual stuff was illegal and honestly i really liked being w u and [MALE 1]. so anything anyone has to say about the gamgbang is out of their jurisdiction. i don’t think we should feel any shame for the part. our body our choice.”
Finally, even taking at face value there were 50 or so men living in the house, monitoring the Snapchats, the argument can go in their favor. Dozens of men did not participate in the alleged rape. They did not go upstairs to see what was going on or otherwise partake.
Let’s change the narrative back to one rooted in truth and justice – not unfair attacks on innocent Cornell students.
