Woman at centre of Cornell gang rape lawsuit targeted with threats, lawyer says

The woman who has alleged that she was drugged and raped by Cornell University students has been the target of threats, her lawyer said on Sunday.

Thomas Giuffra, who represents the woman identified as "Jane Doe", told CNN that people have threatened to silence or harm her if she does not withdraw her civil lawsuit alleging that several members of a Cornell fraternity drugged and raped her in 2024.

"She's received multiple threats," Giuffra said on CNN's "State of the Union".

Giuffra said he had also been threatened.

"I'm not afraid of these people," he said. "But the threats, the abuse to protect what's going on, the status quo – these guys are disgusting. They should stay in their mother's basement and stay out of the world."

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Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday that the university will examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus following the outcry over the school's handling of the rape allegations.

"At their best, these organizations can provide ​students with friendship, belonging, mentorship and a powerful sense of community," he said. "But being part of ​a group can never diminish individual responsibility."

Kotlikoff also voiced support for an "independent review by an outside law firm" into Cornell's handling of the case.

Since the lawsuit was filed last month, prosecutors in Tompkins County, New York, have been criticized for their initial handling of the allegations in 2024. New York Governor Kathy Hochul last week named state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to look into the case.

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US President Donald Trump, a critic of James for years, lambasted the decision to appoint her. "And I feel badly for whoever she's looking at because they won't get a fair shake," Trump told reporters on Friday.

Asked about Trump's comment, Giuffra said the case shouldn't be politicized. "It has nothing to do with politics," Giuffra said.