A 'dark cloud' and 'dismal' mood: How it feels on Cornell campus right now

A 'dark cloud' and 'dismal' mood: How it feels on Cornell campus right now Under mean circumstances, Cornell University is simply a beauteous spot to survey at this clip of year. Autumn leaves bring pops of colour to its stately buildings, which are acceptable against the backdrop of the rolling hills of upstate New York. But students and faculty members say the probe into an alleged pack rape that took place on these grounds two years ago has formed a "dark cloud" over the field — stirring anger, concern over fraternity culture, and a backlash against the university's handling of the situation. Students and staff at the Ivy League institution spoke to the BBC, some on condition of anonymity, saying the hostility on campus has become palpable since the 2024 lawsuit resurfaced in recent weeks. At a student assembly held on Thursday, organised to let students voice their concerns, many called for drastic change at the university. Others labelled the perceived lack of justice a "disgrace" and said they felt ashamed of the prestigious university, which has defended its handling of the case. "We merit to cognize that our instauration values our information much than its reputation," undergraduate Sophia Riley Sim told those at the gathering. Sim said she had been excessively upset by the lawsuit to attend classes for the past week. The accuser at the centre of the alleged pack rape, known anonymously as Jane Doe, filed a civil suit against Cornell on 16 September, saying she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in 2024. She claimed that Cornell had failed to support her or adequately punish the men involved in the incident. The men have been dubbed the Cornell Seven. Cornell has already agreed to an independent probe into the rape allegation. The university has also defended its handling of the matter to date, saying it conducted an "extensive investigation" that lasted several months after the report of the incident, and that it followed applicable federal civil rights law. Shortly after Thursday's student assembly at Cornell, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she had appointed the state attorney general, Letitia James, as special authority in the case. She said she had "lost faith" in the Tompkins County district attorney, who had previously led the investigation. James thus takes over the lawsuit from Matthew Van Houten. Van Houten's office initially concluded that the evidence did not meet the legal threshold to bring charges — earlier reopening a criminal probe last week in light of the new civil complaint, a determination that Cornell supported. The upcoming "Justice for Survivors" protest, planned at the university for 5 October, is being advertised in flyers across campus. It calls on Cornell to take action against alleged rape culture. Student organisers are calling for Cornell to expel and revoke the degrees of the alleged perpetrators of the rape, rewrite policies around sexual assault punishments, initiate an external probe of the university and mandate prevention training for campus police. As part of its report of its prior probe of the case, Cornell says: "At its conclusion, the proceeding sheet issued a scope of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell." Cornell says it is legally prevented from publicly disclosing specific disciplinary outcomes regarding disciplined students, adding that "we recognise that this ineligible regulation tin beryllium frustrating". Across campus, the lawsuit has stirred anger. One fourth‑year student recalled that it had been hard to live in the aftermath of the incident in 2024, as rumours began spreading about Jane Doe. Now, two years on, she told the BBC however she and her friends felt "overwhelmed" and "disappointed", comparing the atmosphere on campus to a "dark cloud". Cornell, she believes, mishandled things. She wants the administration to admit what she sees as its mistakes, calling the lack of transparency disheartening. She also asked why several men in a group chat for members of Chi Phi — the fraternity at the centre of the allegations — did not speak up. A section of the fraternity was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus. Students and faculty members also used Thursday's student assembly gathering to vent their frustrations and disappointment. "I americium precise disgusted to be here, to be paying this instauration to be here," freshman Eliana Dolven‑Miller said. "There was a batch of choler in that room