Jane Doe 'Basically Not Functioning' After Threats

Okay, so remember the Cornell civil lawsuit against those seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers? The woman at the center, known only as Jane Doe, is reportedly struggling badly. Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told People on Monday that she has "basically not been functioning" since filing the complaint.

Giuffra said Doe is receiving threats, and so are other people. He described "online trolls" sending messages like, "If you don't drop this lawsuit, I'm gonna do X, Y, and Z." He said the threats have "really made her scared" and that it's been "really very hard on her." The attorney also said he's gotten threats, and women who've been mistakenly identified as Doe have been threatened too.

"These trolls want to silence women," Giuffra said. He added that police presence near Doe's home has been increased because of the harassment.

The lawsuit, filed in September, claims Doe was drugged and raped at the fraternity house in October 2024. She admitted to drinking beforehand and said she engaged in sexual activity with two brothers. Then, according to the suit, a Snapchat group chat message announced there was "free p****" in the room, and five others allegedly assaulted her.

Giuffra said Doe had to drop out of Cornell. "She's lost her Ivy League career," he told People. "She basically hasn't been functioning for the last... since this has happened, and she should be made whole as best as can be. She's going to have to live with this for the rest of her life."

Prosecutors didn't pursue charges in 2024, and the brothers have denied wrongdoing. But after the lawsuit became public on September 18, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office would reopen the investigation.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.