Senator Lea Webb Statement on the Cornell Jane Doe Case

ITHACA, NY – “As a representative of our Tompkins County community, I understand and share the collective outrage here, across the nation, and throughout the world. To call what happened at Cornell a tragedy isn’t enough because it diminishes the larger systemic issues surrounding this case. This is an example of the many testimonies of victims of sexual assault who consistently raise issues about our broken systems and what happens when we fail to listen to survivors. The trauma of sexual assault means that it is often the victim whose livelihood gets upended. Jane Doe has left Cornell University and some of these men graduated with Ivy-league degrees. 

Cornell cannot disclose student records. However, they and all of our colleges and universities must be more transparent on how these cases are investigated and potential process amendments moving forward. Just today, the Trump administration finalized their repeal of Title IX rules, gutting longstanding student protections against abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Here in New York, we must enact stronger guardrails to ensure that our institutes of higher education are following and have the resources to enforce our state’s Human Rights law to protect victims of sexual assault. 

The status quo cannot continue. We must increase funding for victims services who provide the kind of trauma-informed care that sexual assault survivors cannot receive anywhere else. We must pass legislation such as bills S54A (Fernandez/Dinowitz) and S866 (Bailey), that makes the language used in these cases clear so there is never room for argument about someone being able to consent. We must ensure that all of those who are impacted are rendered justice and fully supported in their healing.”

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