Students Take Back the Night in the wake of "Cornell 7"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A Cornell University student during a campus wide sit-in on Oct. 7. Photo: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
Warning: This story includes reporting on sexual assault and rape.
Students at Cornell, the University of Chicago and other colleges are planning protests on Sunday to demand more accountability from university administrators on campus sexual violence.
Why it matters: One in eight college students experiences sexual violence during college, according to RAINN. The recent high-profile "Cornell 7" case has incited students to demand stronger policies to protect them.
Driving the news: Colleges across the country plan to join a Take Back the Night virtual rally at 7pm CT on Sunday before marching across campuses.
State of play: Take Back the Night organizers and participants have outlined five specific demands for university officials:
- Evidence-based prevention education for every student
- Trauma-informed investigations and independent oversight
- 24-hour emergency response and protection for those seeking help
- Monthly public reporting and transparency on campus sexual violence
- Modernization of outdated sexual assault laws
Flashback: Since the 1970s, protesters have rallied to "take back" or "reclaim" the night to take a stand against sexual, domestic and gendered violence.
- In 2001, Katie Koestner formed Take Back the Night Foundation. Koestner appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1991, sharing her story of date rape as a college student in Virginia.
Catch up quick: Last month, a former Cornell student filed a lawsuit against Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity and others for the role she says all defendants played in a gang rape she reported at the fraternity house.
- Cornell's Board of Trustees has hired former DOJ official Sally Yates to investigate the "Cornell 7" case, and a special prosecutor has taken over the criminal investigation.
Zoom in: Students at UChicago have demonstrated on campus over the last week, chanting "We are Jane Doe," a reference to the woman who filed the lawsuit.
Context: Two women made allegations of sexual assault at fraternities near UChicago in October. Neither is a student at the university, according to a university spokesperson.
- Chicago police have not made any arrests, and investigations continue, CPD tells Axios.
Go deeper: RAINN has a list of resources for survivors, including the 24/7 toll-free number for support, how to report assault and where to seek medical care.