'I felt like bait,' Jane Doe said at 2025 Cornell University hearing investigating allegations of fraternity house sexual assault
During a 2025 hearing at Cornell University, an unidentified female former student who alleges she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024 described her harrowing night at the house surrounded by multiple men: "I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in."
Her description is included in a heavily-redacted 99-page report, obtained by ABC News, that was prepared by the university last year as it investigated what happened.
As part of its investigation, Cornell conducted 50 interviews with 32 witnesses, including the fraternity brothers Jane Doe accused in a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month of gang rape, and determined that someone at the Chi Phi house had overdosed on ketamine one day prior to Jane Doe's experience.
"Ketamine was a substance used by multiple individuals in the Chi Phi house at the time, including [redacted] who had overdosed on or about October 18, 2024," the report said.
Jane Doe told investigators the ketamine she took that night induced a "vague consciousness" that left her disoriented.
"So, lights are on, but nobody's home. Your brain is not functioning at its proper level," Doe said, according to the report. "I know it sounds super weird to say. I know it happened, but I don't remember it."
The investigators also noted an apology from one of the fraternity brothers during the hearing.
"I was sorry that maybe if it wasn't consensual and she was victimized, I was sorry for not stopping it," said the fraternity brother, who Cornell's investigation concluded did not engage in the assault but was found responsible for "attempted sexual exploitation." "And that I'm sorry I couldn't tell if she was under the influence ... just sorry that I felt like if something actually bad happened, I didn't stop it."
University agrees to independent investigation, governor says
Earlier Wednesday, Cornell University agreed to initiate an independent investigation into how the Ivy League school handled the allegations, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told ABC News.
Hochul called for the outside review, saying the allegations raised "serious questions about Cornell campus culture" and whether the university is doing all it can to protect students.
"I wanted to make sure they knew how important this was, and they absolutely agreed. And they're acting on this this afternoon. So, they'll be reporting on what the details are, but they will be conducting what I asked for, which is an independent outside investigation of what happened," Hochul told ABC News on Wednesday.
"People need to know the truth and I think it's important for the public, for the victim, her family and the university community to know that their university did everything that they're supposed to do," she said.
Cornell's internal data show 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual assault during their time on campus, but Hochul said the problem was acute on every campus.
"There's been a culture of this kind of treatment of young women on campuses for as long as I've been in college, and it has to change," Hochul said.
Cornell confirmed the outside investigation on Wednesday but has not yet provided details.
Prosecutors in central New York this week announced that they are reopening the investigation of the alleged sexual assault after the former student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell, sparking outrage about the incident.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement that his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, though he said the allegations in the civil complaint are "dramatically different" than the woman's statement to police two years ago.
In an interview with ABC News, Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and said his office didn't "independently investigate" the allegations.
Cornell's Chi Phi chapter is barred from campus. Trey Robb, the interim executive director of Chi Phi fraternity, said in a statement that all the accused members were kicked out of the Cornell chapter within three days of Jane Doe filing her police report in 2024.
Three of the defendants named in the suit have denied the allegations through their attorneys.
"Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," Cornell said in a statement Monday, in part.
In an earlier statement, Cornell said it conducted a thorough Title IX investigation of Jane Doe's allegations. "At its conclusion, the hearing panel issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell," the university's statement said.
Cornell did not specify who was disciplined, how many and for what.
The university said the investigation was conducted over several months and included hearings before a panel of trained faculty and staff.
Text messages between Jane Doe and fraternity member unearthed
A report prepared by Cornell as part of its investigation into the sexual assault allegations included text messages between the Jane Doe and one of the people she accused of rape -- the fraternity member who had invited her to the Chi Phi house.
According to the text messages, which were obtained by ABC News, Jane Doe told the man four days after the alleged incident that "everyone knows" and "my reputation is destroyed and I'm utterly ashamed."
In the Oct. 23, 2024, exchange Jane Doe texted the man, later identified by the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office as Male Number 1: "everyone needs to grow up cause sexuality and sex and s--- is changing and stuff like this is going to become more common,, I'm also really open minded tho, I luv you king."
On Nov. 7, 2024, when Male Number 1 expressed concern that he was "being labeled an assaulter," Jane Doe replied, "I haven't said anything but I do know people are changing the narrative because like in any sexual scenario w one woman and many men the woman was probably the victim."
"I know there are rumors I was gang banged," her text continued.
On Nov. 8, 2024, Male Number 1 asked Jane Doe for a phone call. She replied, "I think I'm done talking to you. I know you lied." It's not clear from the text messages what Jane Doe was referring to but Male Number 1 responded, "What? Can you call?" Jane Doe answered, "no. never again."
A week later, Jane Doe gave a sworn statement to Cornell University police. She described that she felt incapacitated, saying she declined to participate in some of the sexual activity and that the incidents at Chi Phi fraternity house "felt like coercion," according to a copy of the police report obtained by ABC News.
