Cornell students plan seven-hour sit-in over alleged 2024 fraternity assault

Cornell University students are expected to hold a seven-hour sit-in Wednesday in solidarity with Jane Doe, the woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity nearly two years ago.

“Seven hours for the seven hours she endured. Seven hours of solidarity. Seven hours demanding change,” a coalition of Cornell student groups said in a post on Instagram announcing the demonstration.

The students are expected to gather inside a campus dining hall named for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison starting at 1:30 p.m. ET, according to the announcement. The organizers said the planned sit-in is part of “Zero Day,” an “economic blackout calling on students to disrupt business as usual by not attending class or spending on campus.”

The protest illustrates the tense mood on the Ivy League campus following Jane Doe’s allegations that she was sexually assaulted and plied with drugs Oct. 19-20, 2024. She filed a civil lawsuit against the university and seven fraternity members last month, leading to renewed national attention on sexual misconduct and collegiate Greek life.

Three of the accused men have publicly denied the allegations through attorneys.

The sit-in comes two days after Cornell faculty members introduced a resolution calling for a no-confidence vote in the university administration over its handling of the alleged assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The resolution was submitted to the University Faculty Committee on Monday night, according to a copy obtained by NBC News.

Cornell has drawn intense scrutiny over how it responded to Jane Doe’s allegations in November 2024, and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has been criticized for declining to charge the accused. The university and the district attorney have each defended their original 2024 probes.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul effectively replaced Van Houten as lead investigator last week, appointing state Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the case. Cornell and Van Houten have publicly welcomed James’ involvement. “I trust that she will examine the facts and apply the law,” Van Houten said in a statement on Friday.

Wednesday’s sit-in was announced on Instagram by a group of campus organizations, including Black Students United, Cornell NAACP, Mecha de Cornell, Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Cornell, Students for a Democratic Cornell, and a student-run chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“The sit-in will be a space for students to share their support for survivors of sexual violence in myriad ways, including the share of resources and teach-ins,” the student groups said on Instagram.