Cornell Comms About Rape Allegations
The Cornell University response to a sexual assault case hits close to home, but the messages provide lessons in communicating sensitive information during a crisis. As always, care must be taken in the classroom when discussing such topics; faculty might consider letting students know in advance what will be covered or including message analysis as an optional part of a project or exam.
A 2024 incident at Chi Phi fraternity led to a civil lawsuit by “Jane Doe” against seven students, the university, and others. The fraternity was banned from campus and two students were expelled, but no criminal charges were sought by the district attorney. Social media and news reports reveal public outrage about a perceived lack of accountability and justice.
Students might analyze the following.
Cornell University Communications
September 28, Statement. The first statement, from university relations, is titled “District Attorney’s investigation of 2024 sexual assault allegations”—an early attempt to shift blame and focus to the DA. The statement explains steps the university took, corrects misinformation (that fraternity members only wrote essays), and defends actions taken. The last paragraph digs in perhaps too early, before more information, including the tenor and severity of the public response became clear:
Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false. A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.
September 29, Resources. The next day, the university posted “Resources and support for sexual assault and misconduct.” The page links to previous statements, including one from November 2024 about the incident, which was well known on campus at the time. The page describes a task force, including links to the final report and recommendations. A cynic (like me, today) might find the recommendations focused more on communication, understanding, and training than on substantive change. For example, one bullet point is, “Improve understanding about the Title IX process.” This focus is reflected in the initial statement that described the Title IX purpose and process. A different approach, of course, is to rethink the current Title IX process.
FAQ. As expected, the FAQ is mostly explanatory.
Survivor Support Letter. Not a new resource, this message focuses on students’ well-being. It’s written by healthcare professionals and student advocates, and it shows. One improvement might be to acknowledge how the “narrative” they mention may evolve over time as survivors’ understanding and feelings about an event shift, which seems particularly relevant in this case. With some distance and outside perspectives, people who experience trauma may come to understand it in new ways. Also, the page links to a Decision Tree showing where to report an incident—through the Title IX office, campus police, local police, or the New York State Campus Sexual Assault State Trooper (more accurately, the reporting channel is the Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit). Students may question whether the outcome would have been different if Jane Doe had chosen another avenue for reporting.
Other Communications
Students might also explore the following:
Ithaca Mayor’s Statement. He writes “brutal rape,” whereas the word “rape” is rare in these messages. Students might consider whether his direct language is appropriate given that the facts are still contested.
Fraternities. Students can compare communications from their own campus fraternities; several “We stand with Jane Doe” messages have appeared at other colleges.
Communication Pause
During a crisis, an organization should probably pause routine social media activity. For example, publicizing work, no matter how groundbreaking, invites criticism. This LinkedIn post and comments illustrate the risk. Donor appeals should also wait.
When sending other messages, leaders need to be sensitive to the situation. An internal email about organizational changes starts, “While I recognize that this message comes in the midst of heightened communications across the university and in our college, we have important work to continue. . . .” This introduction acknowledges the timing and attempts to move forward as the crisis continues to unfold.