“We Are Not Angry Enough”: Women Are Branding Themselves "Jane Doe" In Solidarity With Cornell's Jane Doe After A Male Journalist Attempted To Doxx Her

4 weeks ago 30

Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and other sensitive matters. Reader discretion is advised.

The Cornell University sexual assault case has garnered widespread anger and attention on the internet after New York State prosecutors reopened an investigation into the sexual assault of a woman (Jane Doe) at the university in 2024. The woman filed a lawsuit against the university on 16 September, stating that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven men at a fraternity house at the university. She also stated that the university failed to protect her and adequately punish the men involved.

In the lawsuit, it is stated that seven men from Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity assaulted the then-20-year-old undergraduate for hours on the night of 19 October 2024. In the lawsuit, she stated that she had left her sorority sisters after drinking that night and "stumbled alone" to the fraternity house to meet her male friend. It was revealed in the lawsuit that the men involved also sent out Snapchat messages, reportedly inviting others to join the sexual assault. She reported the assault to the Cornell Police on 8 November 2024. The lawsuit alleges sexual assault, battery, negligence, and breach of contract and violations of New York's Human Rights Law. It was filed against the university, fraternity sorority, and the men involved in the attack.

The story first came to light in November 2024, when the student-run publication Cornell Daily Sun reported on the incident. Cereese Qusba, a student journalist working for the Cornell Daily Sun, continued investigating after the case had faded out. She kept in touch with Jane Doe and her lawyers and started writing it from the very beginning with all the evidence and information. In 2026, Qusba reached out to the new editor-in-chief of the Sun with the investigation as the main story for the publication. Soon after the lawsuit was made public, Qusba published her extensive investigation on the crime. And thus, the online backlash against the "Cornell Seven" began.

Shagisabadword / Via x.com

Outrage grew in the coming weeks after it was stated in the lawsuit that the men were "afforded the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays." Doe's lawyers stated that only two men involved in the assault were expelled. The Cornell newspaper's editorial board published the names of the defendants on 21 September in a piece titled "Cornell Won't, We Will." The men's names were Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. These men were labelled "The Cornell Seven". You can read more in detail about the lawsuit and case here.

Shagisabadword / Via x.com

Since the news of the investigation and lawsuit came out, the internet has been enraged by the lack of accountability taken by the university and the alleged minimal punishment given to the men involved.

One user said, "We are not angry enough. The Cornell 7 need to be blasted everywhere."

Another called out rape culture, saying, "The Cornell Seven case is awful, but honestly the responses on here have totally radicalized me. I know it's cringe now to talk about "rape culture," but the number of people who simply hate women and think men are entitled to do whatever they want to us is...staggering."

While a big chunk of the internet came together in support of Jane Doe, there were a considerable number of people who questioned Jane Doe's story...

Celebrities and politicians like Florence Pugh, Hudson Williams, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke out on social media and condemned the horrifying crime. Florence Pugh wrote in a post on Instagram, "How can you expect us to trust that it's "not all men" when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?" Also, Toby Morton, the ex-writer of the TV show South Park has published a website called TheCornellSeven.org which will document the entire investigation and the account of the victim who was assaulted.

This case has reignited the discourse around how rape culture continues to be rampant in education, despite the groundbreaking #MeToo movement's emphasis on holding men accountable. While the investigation is ongoing, internet users have been involved in discussions surrounding the case and breaking down Doe's testimony. Some suggest looking at the allegations with caution, while others are demanding justice for the victim.

But what caught the attention of a section of the internet was one male journalist's post on social media platform X. Michael Tracey, an American journalist, turned to X on 29 September and asked people to help him identify Jane Doe, so he could publish it online.

He further requested, "If you happen to know who this Cornell 'Jane Doe' is, get in touch, and I would be happy to publicly her name and identifying information. And yes—this is 100% permitted under the First Amendment, whatever threats or emotional blackmail people might want to deploy."

For your understanding, the Crime Victims' Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771, gives victims of federal crimes the right to be treated with fairness and with respect for their dignity and privacy. Federal courts are required to ensure that these rights are afforded during relevant proceedings, while federal officials involved in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crimes must make their best efforts to ensure that victims are afforded these rights. However, there is no blanket federal law prohibiting the American press from publishing the name of an adult rape or sexual assault victim, although additional protections may exist under state law.

The journalist's request was met with a furious response from women. As an act of solidarity and refusal to help in this search, women have started what looks like a social media movement called #IamJaneDoe. In an effort to conceal and defend the victim's true identity, women are flooding social media algorithms with reels and posts claiming to be the Cornell Jane Doe people are searching for.

Women are actively calling out Tracey for attempting to doxx Jane Doe and question her story.

One user called out Tracey's post for attacking the victim instead of the perpetrators, signaling at the blatant misogyny and victim-blaming mindset behind the attempt.

This user stated, "Being intoxicated isn't an invitation for rape. You can't give consent if you are drugged and drunk."

One user pointed out the underlying unethical mindset behind doxxing the victim's identity, and they did not shy away from sharing their thoughts.

Adding gravitas to the movement, some women are sharing their own stories of sexual assault and harassment on social media, spreading awareness about the gravity of the incident while defending Jane Doe's privacy and rights in this investigation.

Women also shared their stories on Reddit.

One X user encouraged others to report Tracey's account, saying, "Take a moment of your time, and report this disgusting waste of space. Ain't nobody need to know her damn name."

Such stories and reels continue to pop up on social media, and they don't seem to be slowing down. Women from all over the world are uniting to support Jane Doe's privacy in this case and are hoping for justice to prevail.

As the public awaits more details around the investigation, the discourse around victim-blaming and accountability continues to divide the internet, and unfortunately, this is not a new conversation women are forced to have—but it is one that is needed for justice to be delivered.

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