Cornell's alleged frat house gang

Cornell's alleged frat house gang-rape case 'eerily similar' to Hockey Canada trial, says advocate

Anonymous woman alleges private Ivy League school protected seven men accused

The head of a London, Ont., support centre for survivors of sexual assault says they see parallels between last year's Hockey Canada trial and a recently filed civil lawsuit alleging gang-rape at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

The victim, known in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges the private Ivy League university protected the seven men, now dubbed "the Cornell 7," after she came forward saying they drugged and assaulted her over several hours at a frat house in October 2024.

The case has spurred boycotts, with alumni threatening to pull funding and celebrities speaking out.

"It's eerily similar to the Hockey Canada case, which was also reopened after a civil lawsuit was opened by the victim in that case," said Jessie Rodger, executive director of Anova. "So there's a sense of frustration of this playing out over again."

What to know about Cornell's alleged frat house gang-rape case and the 'Cornell 7'

Hockey Canada suspensions remain for four players on 2018 junior team

Five players from Canada's 2018 world junior team were acquitted last year in a London courtroom on sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman known as "E.M."

'Cornell 7' lawsuit: What we know

She first came forward to London police in 2018 claiming the men sexually assaulted her at the London Armouries Hotel following a Hockey Canada gala, where the players were honoured for their victory at the world junior hockey championship.

The initial police investigation ended without charges in 2019. It was reopened in 2022 by then police Chief Steve Williams, in response to public outrage following a lawsuit that Hockey Canada settled for $3.5 million.

Both countries 'ill equipped to deal with sexual violence'

Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart were all later charged in 2024. At the time, current police Chief Thai Truong apologized that it took six years to lay out the charges.

"It's the same way that the Hockey Canada case came to fruition," Rodger said of the Cornell case. "It doesn't seem to matter what country you live in. We are all ill equipped to deal with sexual violence in the current system we have."

A timeline of the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial and key moments

Doe's lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court, alleges her assault happened on campus at a fraternity house, and that one of the frat brothers sent a Snapchat message inviting other members to join them for "free pussy."

It further says the accused only faced temporary suspensions and "were afforded the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays" to the university - an allegation Cornell denies. None of the fraternity members have been criminally charged.

"It really appears to be terrible police work was done in this case," said Rodger. "I think it just reinforces the message that we try to share with survivors and victims of sexual assault that if you choose to go see the police and talk to them about your assault, you need to talk to a lawyer first."

The unfolding Cornell case will likely retraumatize people who have had their own experiences of sexual violence as it unfolds, said Rodger.

They said they hope the case opens up a conversation about what needs to change in the legal system to bring more justice to survivors.

"I'm going to be watching to see if any lessons have been learned from the previous Hockey Canada experience," they said. "I don't know if I have much hope, but I am thinking about that."

Resources for survivors of sexual assault:

St. Joseph's Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Program