Jane Doe movement grows following Cornell sexual assault allegations

A high-profile sexual assault case involving Cornell University students has sparked a social media movement where women are using the phrase “I am Jane Doe” to share their own experiences of sexual violence.

The movement follows a civil lawsuit filed by a Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was pressured to consume substances before being sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. While the Tompkins County District Attorney declined to bring criminal charges in 2024, Cornell University conducted a Title IX investigation that resulted in the Chi Phi chapter being shut down and barred from campus.

In response to the case, Jung Jae-won, a Korean American television reporter, publicly shared her own account of an alleged rape that occurred in Busan, South Korea, in 2017. Jung stated that she had previously remained silent due to shame and fear but chose to speak out to encourage other survivors to share their stories and reduce feelings of isolation.