—Content Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

After more than a week of news coverage and internet virality, everyone is talking about the alleged gang rape at Cornell University and subsequent civil lawsuit. The details of this case are horrific and the atrocities alleged are shocking. This editorial board's thoughts are with the victim, identifying as Jane Doe, her family and the countless victims of sexual violence across the country. 

Given this case’s national attention and the important questions it has raised about accountability — both from perpetrators and institutions — this editorial board deemed it necessary to comment on this case, specifically as it relates to the role of The Cornell Daily Sun in identifying the accused by name in a Sept. 21 editorial titled “Cornell Won’t, We Will.” This decision to print the names of the accused came in the wake of Cornell, the Cornell University Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney's failures to properly investigate this crime and pursue justice for Doe. This editorial board stands behind The Sun’s decision to publish the names of the alleged perpetrators on their front page.

If you are interested in reading more about this incident, we recommend reading The Sun, which has extensively covered the initial police report filed on Nov. 8, 2024, the Cornell community’s reaction and most recently the lawsuit and its national attention. 

The Sun is the oldest continuously independent college daily paper in the country, and sees its central purpose as holding Cornell accountable. The New York Times cites as much from their interview with Sophia Dasser, The Sun’s editor-in-chief: “Our main obligation is accountability. Whether that looks like something that many people do not want to hear, or something that many people do want to hear, it’s our obligation to report on it.” This sentiment is embodied by the very name of their editorial: “Cornell Won’t, We Will.” The Sun’s purpose, much like any other news organization, is a right enshrined in the Constitution. The freedom of the press is what necessitates that the media hold governments and institutions accountable. It is that central freedom and responsibility that drove The Sun’s decision to publish the names of the accused individuals. The Sun’s coverage of this case, which started following Doe and her case in 2024 has driven a national movement calling for accountability, action and transparency from Cornell.

Legally, the defendants were named in Doe’s civil suit, which is a matter of public record. This grants The Sun some legal protection in publishing the names, and the editorial uses “alleged” to refer to the crime so as to not assume guilt. The Sun’s decision came at a unique time in a unique circumstance. When Doe made a formal complaint to police in 2024, CUPD left out Doe’s strongest language, describing the encounter with absolute certainty as rape, in a condensed version of her voluntary statement given to the Tompkins County District Attorney. The Tompkins County DA reviewed this statement and determined he could not bring charges with the evidence at hand. However, he also turned down an opportunity to review additional evidence collected by CUPD. 

At the same time, Cornell conducted a Title IX investigation — a formal administrative investigation of a report of sexual assault, harassment or sex-based discrimination. While Cornell clarified that under federal law they are unable to provide specific information on individual punishments, they added, “None of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.”

However, after The New York Times obtained and reviewed more than 1,000 documents from the Title IX investigation and hearings, we now know its findings and the punishments handed out. Two of the seven defendants, Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, were found responsible for sexual assault and issued full expulsions. Winston Lee and Gillio Lopez were issued suspensions with disciplinary probation to follow after they returned to Cornell. Diego Sarabia was named persona non grata and was banned from campus for three years, as he had already graduated at the time of the decision. The final two men, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar, received a no-contact order with Doe, were required to take “educational modules” on sexual harassment, social media and bystander intervention and had to write “reflection papers.” Kretzschmar was not found responsible for sexual assault; rather, he was said to have committed “attempted sexual exploitation” according to The Times. 

Additionally, it is worth noting that while The New York Times has published its findings from the Title IX investigation that detail the punishments handed out to the seven fraternity members, they have chosen not to make the documents publicly available.

Doe, who was also a prior victim of sexual assault, dropped out of Cornell due to the trauma she endured. The Sun noted that Cornell had established the Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault five months late after Doe’s 2024 report and that there had been an increase in reports of "nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or incapacitation" during students’ time at Cornell from 2023 to 2025, according to the task force findings. Doe also spoke with The Sun directly and extensively Amidst important missteps from Cornell, The New York Times noted that Dasser had weighed the sensitivity of their decision, and that she decided to publish the names of the accused “to display the transparency that some students felt was lacking from university leadership.”

There is no doubt that the decision to publish the names of accused — and in this case, not charged nor convicted — individuals is a weighty one, and the media has grappled with that choice for decades. What makes this choice so complex is the relationship between two of the foundational principles of journalism outlined by the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics: “Seek truth and report it” and “minimize harm.” It is true that this case deals with a heinous crime, that the media has a responsibility to report news and that reporting should benefit the public. However, it is also true that releasing information into the public eye can cause harm — think of a publication’s decision to release the identities of deceased victims before the family knows, for example.

There are famous examples of the ways this can go terribly wrong. In 1996, Richard Jewell, a security guard, was the primary suspect of the bombing at the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. On July 27, 1996, a call was made from a pay phone near Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park warning that a bomb would be detonated there in 30 minutes. Jewell, who had noticed a suspicious backpack in the park, started clearing people from the area. The backpack held a pipe bomb that ended up killing one person and injuring 111 others. The media was quick to turn Jewell from hero to suspect and weaponize stereotypes to imply his guilt. While he was in fact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s lead suspect at the time, the media’s implication of his guilt had serious consequences that continued after he was declared innocent. For this reason, this editorial board takes the question of revealing accused suspects’ names and The Sun’s decision to do so seriously. 

Despite The Sun’s independence from Cornell, its staff is made up of Cornell students — Cornell students who are impacted by the atmosphere of fear and anger on campus, by inaction or ineffective action from the administration and by the idea that Cornell will not protect its students. They have a connection that external media does not. This makes their decision especially powerful. Importantly, The Sun did more than just publish an editorial. They created a sexual misconduct tip line, gathered responses from community members and have continued to tirelessly report on the situation as it evolves. In a Letter from the Editor elaborating on the form The Sun is collecting, Dasser wrote, “Cornell has not listened. We will. Thank you for your trust in The Sun.”

This decision has not been without consequences. Waves of online discourse have flooded social media, full of both support for Doe and accusations that she is lying. There have been attempts to reveal her name online. There are vast and valid critiques of Cornell’s handling of the case, but it is also important to note that Cornell did follow their conduct process for cases like Doe’s, even if they did not properly advocate for her. Title IX investigations are meant to be internal to the academic institution and are not criminal processes. The criminal investigation into the seven men was closed after the DA’s office did not bring charges against them. Holding Cornell responsible for their mistakes is necessary, but is not the last step. Doe’s story sounds like that of many other victims across college campuses, and our legal system and conduct processes must be better equipped to protect them and pursue justice. 

However, the actions of The Sun serve as a reminder that the role of the free press is not just to serve the facts, but to stand up and speak out for justice when institutions intended to uphold it fail. This isn’t just about Cornell. It is about victims everywhere, and the voices they need to speak out on their behalf. We applaud the important work of The Sun and their relentless pursuit of truth and accountability. 

Finally, this editorial board would like to make clear that we take our responsibility to the Brandeis community seriously. We thank our readership for their continued trust and support.     

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment, assault, stalking, domestic violence, dating violence or otherwise is in need of support, please consider the follow resources.

Brandeis

Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center: Located in Usdan Student Center, G-108 or call 781-736-3371.

Brandeis Counseling Center: Located in Mailman house or call 781-736-3730.

University Police: Located next to the Health Center or call 781-736-3333.

Ombuds: Located in Goldfarb Library, 69-103 or call 781-736-2265.

Off-Campus

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center: Call their hotline number 800-841-8371. 

Jane Doe Inc.: Call their hotline number 1-877-785-2020.

REACH: Call their hotline number 800-899-4000.