Lzzy Hale had an unequivocal message about the recent filing of a lawsuit by a former Cornell student alleging a gang rape and drugging in 2024.
“If you are the kind of man who thinks it’s ok to reduce another human being to nothing more than something you can stick your d–k into … there is something severely wrong with you,” Hale wrote on Instagram Wednesday (Sept. 30) about the case, which has been reopened in the wake of outrage about the horrific details revealed in a bombshell story in the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, as well as in the victim’s civil lawsuit. “You are not a ‘promising young man,’ you are a sick monster that needs to be punished and prevented from having contact with other humans.”
Hale was reacting to the effort to revisit the case in which a woman, referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, alleges that she was given drugs and alcohol and then repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped by seven then-members of the Chi Phi fraternity while a student at Cornell in October 2024. The fraternity brothers also allegedly set up a Snapchat group in which they encouraged other members of the frat to join the assault on the then 20-year-old victim, NBC News reported.
According to CBS News, Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police in November 2024, but the Tompkins County D.A.’s office reportedly declined to pursue criminal charges against any of the alleged attackers.
The details of the case have caused national outrage and demands for a new investigation, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announcing on Thursday (Oct. 1) that she’s appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee a new investigation into the case.
Hale’s fury over the incident was evident in her post, in which she continued, “And if you are the kind of man who stands idly by while witnessing a r*pe (yes even if you saw it in a group chat you are still a witness to that r*pe), and choose to do nothing/say nothing … you are NOT ‘the good guy’ you are an accessory to the sexual assault and also need to be brought to justice, because we don’t want your kind walking among us either.”
The Halestorm singer also had a pointed message for people in positions of power to hold the alleged perpetrators to account. “[If you] do nothing, take their side, or let them off with a f–king ‘writing assignment,’ you should be stripped of your power and privilege of walking among us.”
According to NBC News, the seven men — none of whom were arrested or charged — allegedly involved in the assault were given a variety of sanctions, ranging from writing a “reflection paper to suspension and expulsion from the university.”
On Sept. 21, Cornell acknowledged the filing of Jane Doe’s lawsuit in a statement, calling the allegations “deeply disturbing.” The statement reported that the Cornell Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards “investigated and adjudicated the allegations consistent with university policies.” The university said that the Xi chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity remains barred from our campus, though federal privacy laws (FERPA) prohibit the school from “disclosing specific information regarding individual students,” meaning Cornell is “unable to make a public statement on any other disciplinary response.” Cornell vowed to respond in detail through the legal process.
“We take sexual violence extremely seriously,” the statement continued. (See Cornell’s website to read the university’s initial 2024 statement on the incident and its updated FAQ on the allegations.)
According to CNN, lawyers for three of the men accused in the case have issued statements denying any wrongdoing. ABC News reported that the attorney for one of the accused denied the allegations and said the incident, as detailed in Jane Doe’s lawsuit, “did not happen. At bottom, [his client] never sexually assaulted or even touched the plaintiff in any way. Period,” said attorney Jeremy Saland. “We look forward to confronting the plaintiff in a court of law … with both the evidence and her own words.”
The network reported that another alleged participant denied engaging in any sexual activity or drug use, though he acknowledged sending a message that was included in the complaint. “I did not participate in any sexual activity or drug use. I was not found responsible by Cornell for any of the accusations involving sexual activity and drug use for which others received serious consequences,” he said through his attorney. “I thoughtlessly engaged in Snapchat and briefly stopped in the room where misconduct happened but not when it happened.”
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
