More than 200 people gathered in Boston Common last night to rally in solidarity with a former Cornell University student, known as Jane Doe, who alleged in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by seven members of the university’s Chi Phi fraternity.
Chants of “shame” filled the park as protesters called on Massachusetts elected officials and university leadership to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault and rape.
Several signs read “Sentences not Essays,” a reference to Cornell’s alleged offer to some of the fraternity members to “mitigate their conduct by submitting essays,” according to Jane Doe’s lawsuit against the university.
Organized by Mass NOW and Jane Doe Inc, the rally featured speeches from sexual assault survivors, advocates, and elected officials, as well as resource tables. Mass NOW also distributed QR codes that allowed attendees to contact their state and federal legislators.
Sasha Goodfriend, executive director of Mass NOW, emphasized the need for solidarity among students and community members in the wake of stories like Jane Doe’s.
“I think we know Jane Doe’s story is not unique,” Goodfriend said. “So I know all students at universities are feeling the reverberations of knowing that this could happen on their campus as well. When stories like this take over the news, it can be really triggering and hard to go about our daily life as business as usual. So this is a really great way for us to know we’re not alone and we actually have so much power when we are able to stand up together in solidarity.”
Home to nearly 100 colleges and universities, the case struck a chord for many Bay State students who said it raised questions about safety on their own campuses.
Brooke Alarie, a sophomore at Suffolk University, participates in student government and Suffolk Democrats club. Although she feels largely safe on her campus, when she heard about Jane Doe’s story, she began to reevaluate whether students were adequately protected and considered what she could do to enact change.
“I think when things like this happen, specifically girls step back and are like, ‘Okay, maybe I’m not being protected as well as I should,’” Alarie said. “I think, as a student leader, I want kids to feel safe, and I want girls to feel safe. No matter what college you go to, you should be standing in solidarity with Jane Doe.”
Though college campuses were the focal point of the rally, people of all ages came out in support of Cornell’s Jane Doe. Cindy Hemenway, a 75-year-old Stoneham resident, joined the rally to stand with a lifelong friend who was sexually assaulted in high school.
Hemenway said she was angry about the allegations against the seven fraternity members, as well as the complacency of the other fraternity members, referring to a message from a Chi Phi member in a Snapchat group chat named “Chi Phi Actives,” announcing “free” sex was available, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
“How evil [is it] that seven college fraternity members ganged up on one woman, and then sent out messages through texts,” Hemenway said. “And not one of them did anything to stop it. Didn’t call the police. They didn’t stop. They didn’t do anything. And so is this so rampant in our culture that guys just say, ‘Well, it was just a fling, no big deal?’ It is a big deal. It’s a very big deal.”
Ainsley Tischler, a junior at Northeastern University and Mass NOW’s feminist campus organizer, said that while cases like Jane Doe’s can cause fatigue and leave students feeling powerless, coming together and demanding accountability is always an avenue for change.
“When it comes to cases such as sexual assault or rape, it is unfortunately way more common on college campuses than most people realize,” Tischler said. “I have had friends that have been raped, that have been drugged, that have been stalked. And I think it’s important for us to show up not only in the singular cases where it becomes national news, but in every case where justice hasn’t been met and we need to rally together for it.”
