A former Cornell University student who alleged she was gang-raped at a fraternity house said in a statement that she felt like "bait" with "lions" surrounding her. The statement, made in 2024, was part of a heavily redacted 99-page report that included 50 interviews, according to ABC News.
Alleged assault details emerge
During a 2025 hearing, the woman, identified as Jane Doe, described the night and said: "I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in." She also explained how ketamine affected her: "So, lights are on, but nobody's home. Your brain is not functioning at its proper level."
She added: "I know it sounds super weird to say. I know it happened, but I don't remember it." The alleged assault occurred in October inside the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, after the woman was reportedly pressured into snorting a drug believed to be ketamine.
Legal and institutional response
After widespread outcry this week, New York prosecutors said they would reopen the criminal inquiry into her alleged rape. She recently filed a civil lawsuit on September 16 detailing the alleged attack. Cornell University has said "any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false."
Documents seen by The Independent detail that before the alleged hours-long assault, one male student is said to have sent a message to the fraternity Snapchat group saying there was "free p****" and invited others to join. Several men are said to have arrived before the woman was allegedly subjected to violent abuse and sexual assault across various rooms before she lost consciousness.
Alleged member loses job
Diego Sarabia, an alleged member of the "Cornell 7," was accused of pressuring Jane Doe to snort ketamine and drink before allowing other fraternity members to rape her. TMZ reported that Sarabia lost his job at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he had been working. His termination is directly connected to the reopening of the criminal inquiry into the 2024 crime. Sarabia has not been charged with any crime and is yet to comment publicly on the claims.
