Content warning: This story mentions rape and sexual assault.
In 2014, Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz dedicated her visual art senior thesis to bringing attention and awareness to the alleged rape she endured while attending the university. Sulkowicz vowed to carry around an extra-long twin-sized mattress, much like the one where her alleged rape took place, for as long as she attended the same school as her alleged rapist. The rapist’s cease in attendance could’ve been either by expulsion or by him leaving on his own volition. There were set parameters to her thesis, including that she had to carry the mattress alone, never asking for anyone’s help. However, if anyone offered her help, she would be allowed to take it. This was supposed to emulate the psychological effects that sexual assault leaves on survivors. You have to carry the burden alone, people may offer support, but they cannot take it away. She stated that “the piece could potentially take a day or it could go on until I graduate,” showing her dedication to getting justice.
To her dismay, she ended up walking across the stage with four of her friends assisting her with carrying the mattress. Photos from her graduation were widespread in the media, bringing more attention to her case. Columbia officials and faculty repeatedly asked her not to bring the mattress onto the stage and, after failing to comply, Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger turned away from her and didn’t shake her hand as he had done with all other graduates.
Minutes before Sulkowicz walked across the stage, Paul Nungesser, the student that allegedly raped her, walked across and got his diploma, facing no repercussions for the alleged assault. Columbia continuously tried to discourage Sulkowicz from carrying out her thesis, even creating new restrictions to deter her. They sent out a mass email stating that students couldn’t bring “large objects which could interfere with the proceedings or create discomfort to others in close, crowded spaces shared by thousands of people” days before the commencement ceremony was set to take place. Luckily, her determination to hold Columbia and her alleged rapist accountable was unwavering; she wouldn’t walk across the stage without the mattress.
The Blue and White, a Columbia student magazine, wrote a piece that provided a detailed description of Sulkowicz’s alleged assault, along with other students who came forward and revealed they were also allegedly assaulted by Nungesser. The magazine also touched on the frustrations of receiving no justice or support from their university and the respective administration. In response, 23 students filed a complaint with the federal government on how Columbia’s disregard of sexual misconduct violated federal law.
Sulkowicz’s senior thesis is once again making its way into mainstream media after Jane Doe, a former Cornell student, filed a 101-page civil lawsuit after Cornell failed to deliver justice after she reported being gang raped by seven men, beginning on Oct. 19, 2024. Her lawsuit brings complaints against Cornell University, the Tri Delta sorority chapter at Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity chapter at Cornell, Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar — the seven chapter members accused of the alleged gang rape and infamously dubbed “the Cornell Seven” — and Moonies Bar & Nightclub for serving her alcohol while visibly underage. As stated in her lawsuit, Jane Doe was allegedly pressured into doing ketamine while already intoxicated and subsequently assaulted for over six hours. It is claimed that at 1:42 a.m., Newell texted in the Chi Phi fraternity Snapchat group chat, which included over 50 other chapter members, stating that there was “free p*ssy,” followed by Ingalls stating that you could “walk in and whip it out.” Photos of these messages, among others, can be found in the aforementioned lawsuit linked above. Across all social media platforms, videos can be found of student protesters demanding Cornell University to take accountability for the poor handling of Jane Doe’s claims.
Much like in the case of Sulkowicz, Cornell’s student paper, The Cornell Daily Sun, has been a leading advocate and beacon of information throughout this case. Student writer Cereese Qusba first broke the news on Sept. 18, garnering the widespread attention the case is currently receiving. Qusba made the incredibly brave decision to name all of the alleged perpetrators in her piece, despite the criticism and backlash she was sure to bring upon herself. When universities fail to stand up for their students, time and time again this burden is placed upon the backs of other students.
Cornell has since released a statement in which they say that they conducted their own investigation following Jane Doe’s Title IX complaint. Cornell states that “federal privacy law prohibits Cornell from disclosing specific information regarding individual students and we therefore are unable to make a public statement on any other disciplinary response,” explaining why they cannot release their investigation even after all the public demands. All Title IX complaints are kept private in compliance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as FERPA. FERPA makes it illegal to release student records to the broad public. The district attorney for Tompkins County, New York, Mathew Van Houten, is reportedly reopening the case of the alleged gang rape in a statement where he first declares why no criminal charges were brought forth during the original investigation.
Amidst the public uproar over the seven Chi Phi chapter members, many people are sharing instances on social media in which Title IX and their respective universities have failed them as well. The #IAmJaneDoe movement was also born. It is a viral campaign dedicated to the antidoxing of the former Cornell student choosing to remain anonymous. This movement is also a way to show solidarity and call attention to the truly horrific number of women sexually assaulted, many of which take place on university campuses. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center published an article containing the jarring statistics that 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while attending a university.
On Sept. 14, a Louisiana State University (LSU) student, Kendall Francis, turned to the public via TikTok to share her outrage after LSU appealed the suspension of star football player Damien Shanklin when Title IX found him guilty of raping Francis. Much to LSU’s dismay, the LSU police and The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office are now investigating the claims. The LSU Administrative Law Judge, Janet Waguespack, wrote that Shanklin’s original punishment was “exceedingly harsh and did not take into account several factors, including that he had no prior disciplinary history at LSU…” Waguespack further supported her decision by stating that there were both consensual and nonconsensual acts, that Shanklin tried to comfort Francis after the assault, and showed true concern for her well-being. The poor handling of Francis’ case is just another example of universities putting their own interests over the safety and well-being of female students. Similar to the #IAmJaneDoe, #JusticeForKendall is also a trending hashtag.
Higher education should be a place to obtain education and a degree, not a place where your chances of being sexually assaulted skyrocket. It’s time to ask universities what they will do to protect female students and when they will start holding rapists accountable.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.