With No Criminal Charges Filed Against 7 Men Accused in a Cornell Student’s Lawsuit, Olivia Rodrigo Is Demanding Accountability From the University

05 Oct 2026, 00:05 by Sari Moon · Thought Catalog

Updated 11 hours ago, October 4, 2026

Olivia Rodrigo demanded answers from Cornell University on Instagram on Saturday, October 3, backing a student whose lawsuit accuses 7 fraternity members of drugging and gang-raping her in 2024. The student’s suing under the name Jane Doe, and none of the men have been criminally charged.

Olivia Rodrigo at Variety’s Music Hitmakers Brunch, held at City Market Social House in Los Angeles in December 2021. Photo by Nicky Nelson / WENN / MEGA.

“Shame on Cornell and on every institution who protects rapists and abusers over women. I stand with Jane Doe. Her bravery reverberates across the country, and the crimes against her will not go unpunished,” the 23-year-old singer wrote.

“What she lived through matters, and so does the failure of those who could have intervened but chose not to,” Rodrigo continued. “She deserves answers, consequences, and lasting change.”

The lawsuit names Cornell, Chi Phi, Jane Doe’s sorority and the 7 men. She says they gave her ketamine and assaulted her at Chi Phi’s house in Ithaca on October 19, 2024, when she was 20. Some of the accused men and their attorneys have denied the allegations.

Prosecutors initially decided against pursuing charges after reviewing the written statement Jane Doe had given Cornell police, 3 weeks after she reported the alleged assault. No arrests followed.

Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, says writing workshops and essays were among the lighter penalties Cornell imposed, while 2 men were expelled and others were suspended. Cornell disputes that an essay alone could’ve been a student’s punishment. The university has banned Chi Phi’s Xi chapter from campus.

District Attorney Matt Van Houten later announced plans to reopen the case and present it to a grand jury. Governor Kathy Hochul removed him from the case on Thursday, October 1, appointing Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. “This is now an active criminal investigation,” James said.

Before James was appointed on October 1, President Donald Trump told reporters he didn’t know much about the case. “Cornell is a fine school, and I’m sure they’ll do what’s right,” he said.

On Friday, October 2, after James’s appointment, Trump answered Fox’s Peter Doocy outside the White House: “Letitia James is a corrupt person. She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake.”

Florence Pugh, Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad and Rebel Wilson have also spoken out in support of Jane Doe. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi canceled a planned visit to Cornell over the investigation.

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