Cornell rape accuser receiving threats after filing rape lawsuit, lawyer says

The woman who alleges she was drugged and raped by Cornell University students has received threats demanding that she withdraw her civil lawsuit, her lawyer has revealed.

Thomas Giuffra, who represents the woman identified as Jane Doe’, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that people had threatened to silence or harm his client.

“She’s ​received multiple threats,” Giuffra told CNN.

The lawsuit, filed in September, alleges that several members of a Cornell fraternity drugged and raped Doe in 2024.

Giuffra said he has also received threats since the allegations gained widespread attention.

“I’m not afraid of these people,” he said.

The claims come amid growing scrutiny of Cornell’s handling of the allegations.

University president Michael Kotlikoff said Saturday that Cornell would examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor on Thursday to investigate the case following criticism of how local prosecutors initially handled the allegations.

US President Donald Trump criticised James’s appointment on Friday, saying: “And I ​feel badly for whoever ​she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake.”