Jane Doe, the Cornell University student who filed a civil lawsuit last month alleging she was drugged and gang-raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members in 2024, has received multiple threats to withdraw her case, her attorney Thomas Giuffra told CNN on Sunday. Giuffra said both he and Doe have been targeted, with threats demanding she be silenced or harmed if she does not drop the lawsuit. “She’s received multiple threats,” Giuffra said on CNN’s *State of the Union*, adding that he had also been threatened but remained undeterred .
The case has triggered widespread outcry over Cornell’s handling of the allegations. On Saturday, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced support for an independent review by an outside law firm and pledged to examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus. “Being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility,” Kotlikoff said in a video message, acknowledging the university must “do better” .
New York Governor Kathy Hochul last week appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the 2024 incident, citing doubts about the local prosecutor’s handling of the case. Hochul criticized Cornell’s campus police for providing only a partial record to prosecutors, calling it a “failure” . The accused men have denied wrongdoing, according to the *New York Times* .
Giuffra also suggested the number of assailants may exceed seven, telling CNN he believes more men were involved due to Doe’s blackout periods during the assault .
