Content warning: This article contains references to sexual violence.

On Sept. 16, a Cornell University student known as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity who she is accusing of gang rape. What has followed is a surge of national attention on her case and questions around university accountability amid Title IX cases.

The case was investigated by the Cornell Daily Sun since it was first reported in October 2024, and the paper published the names of the seven accused men on Sept. 21, 2026. Cornell University investigated the case after its initial report. Temporary suspensions and other restrictive measures were issued, and Chi Phi, Xi Chapter was barred from the campus. The university acknowledged that members of its community do not feel that its disciplinary actions were adequate. 

Stanford community members are also bringing the case to the forefront of discussions, and several organizations have issued statements or are working with the University to formulate a response and ensure education resources are in place. 

This comes amid the University’s recent discontinuation of sexual wellness programs Flip the Script and Beyond Sex Ed, due to budget and staffing reasons. 

“Whether this may cause fear and anger, questions about safety and the influence of collegiate hookup culture, or moments from past experiences, know that you are not alone,” Sasha Herthel ’27, Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU)’s director of sexual violence prevention, wrote in an email to Stanford undergraduates on Oct. 1 in response to the Cornell case. 

Herthel provided a list of sexual health, mental health and Title IX resources on campus and encouraged students to seek support through these channels or talk with someone.

“Especially at elite institutions, knowledge of consent, sexual education and sexual violence prevention is often dangerously assumed. Educating yourself and becoming aware of available resources are critical first steps,” Herthel wrote.

ASSU is in early communications with teams at the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education (SHARE) Title IX & Title VI Office, Fraternity and Sorority Life and other campus departments to develop curriculum to fill gaps in sexual education, according to a statement from Herthel to The Daily.

Herthel also called the University’s recent discontinuation of two sexual wellness programs  “unquestionably disappointing and upsetting” in her statement to The Daily. 

Flip the Script was a sexual violence resistance training program for women. Beyond Sex Ed was a mandatory program for first-year and transfer students to hear stories of current students navigating sexual identity, consent, sexual assault and other themes. 

“The loss of those programs should motivate us to invest more energy and awareness into the resources that are still offered,” Herthel said. “We invite University leadership to engage in thoughtful conversations on how to properly fill those gaps in interventions and education.”

Herthel said that the Stanford Prevent, Educate, Empower, Refer (PEERs) program is one way for students to continue building skills of recognizing what sexual violence looks like and when to intervene. PEERs has training on upstander intervention, communication, Narcan and more.

“Our goal is that no Stanford student graduates without receiving proper consent and sexual violence prevention training from the institution. The University must prioritize prevention education so that its funding doesn’t depend on which programs survive a yearly budget cycle. We invite the University to work with us on developing this updated curriculum,” she said.

Herthel told The Daily that the Cornell case resonates nationally because it raises questions of “whether students take consent seriously, whether they trust reporting systems and whether institutions hold themselves accountable for their responses” on all college campuses.

ASSU president Jared Hammerstrom ’27 emphasized the organization’s goal to ensure there is meaningful education on consent, bystander intervention and the resources available to students. “This work cannot be optional or dependent on a single program or office,” he wrote to The Daily. “Creating a safer campus culture requires real commitment, participation and education from all students across Stanford.”

The University’s policies and procedures are designed to comply with all applicable California and federal laws on sex discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, according to a statement to The Daily from University spokesperson Angie Davis.

“The Title IX & Title VI Office continually evaluates its policies, procedures, trainings and educational programming in light of evolving legal requirements and best practices,” she wrote.

The Title IX & Title VI Office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection to develop additional programming and is focused on holistic education, which includes new upstander workshops and consent and communication workshops, according to Davis. 

The Stanford Interfraternity Council (IFC) is partnering again with the Stanford Inter-Sorority Council (ISC) to host a series of conversations this academic year on the issue of sexual violence and harassment, according to an email from the IFC to The Daily.

“There is no place for sexual violence and harassment at Stanford or within the FSL community,” the IFC wrote. “With each new class that enters the University, it is important that we explain our values and facilitate these conversations. This work will never be finished, and it cannot be done in isolation.”

The ISC emphasized they are working with the entire Greek life community at Stanford to strengthen the sexual violence intervention and education programming to address the community’s concerns. They are involved in planning a roundtable discussion for Greek executive boards to “emphasize their responsibility to protect and support their peers as an integral part of their leadership roles,” according to a statement to The Daily. 

The ISC conducts mandatory sexual violence prevention training for all new sorority members each year, alongside PEERs and Title IX & Title VI trainings, the ISC wrote. 

“We recognize the role that Greek life has played on sexual assault culture within college campuses and are dedicated to holding our community accountable, engaging in conversations about the bystander effect, and standing up for our peers,” the statement read.

Several fraternities have released statements on Instagram about the case. Phi Kappa Psi stated its solidarity with Jane Doe and all survivors of “sexual assault, harassment and interpersonal violence.” The fraternity warned of the “Red Zone,” which is the period between the start of the school year and Thanksgiving break where over 50% of collegiate sexual assaults occur, and wrote that “awareness alone is insufficient.”  

“As fraternity members, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to actively dismantle harmful cultures, intervene in unsafe situations and support survivors without reservation,” the statement read. 

Lambda Phi Epsilon released a similar statement on Instagram and also reaffirmed their commitment to upholding a “safe, accountable and respectful space on campus.” 

“We are deeply disgusted by the actions committed by the fraternity members at Cornell University and disappointed in the way Cornell University’s administration handled the situation,” the statement read. 

Herthel emphasized that students should take care of each other and themselves. 

“There is no wrong entry door for finding the resources you need, and there are countless people, like me, who are available to walk alongside you,” Herthel said.

Students may speak to a counselor at the 24/7 Confidential Support Team at (650) 725-9955 to speak about their options if they feel unsafe or have experienced sexual assault. Students may also fill out a Title IX Reporting Form and may choose from there what steps they want to pursue. Students have access to supportive resources even if they do not wish to pursue an investigation. Visit https://share.stanford.edu/get-help for information on resources for sexual harassment, sexual violence and relationship violence.