Hundreds of students walked out of Lincoln Park High School Thursday to protest Cornell University’s handling of a 2024 sexual assault case.
The crowd stretched for several blocks as hundreds of Lincoln Park High School students spilled out of their classrooms Thursday afternoon. turning the neighborhood into a site of protest. They marched from Oz Park. their chants of “No means no” echoing through the streets in a display of solidarity with a former Cornell University student known as Jane Doe.
The demonstration focused on a 2024 case where Doe accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of rape. The lawsuit filed by the survivor alleges that Cornell failed to take sufficient action against the accused men, a sentiment that fueled the anger of the students marching through the city.
Organizers Isabella Scaffai and Elianna St. Martin led the march. with students carrying signs reading “Women’s rights are human rights. ” “Intoxication is not an invitation. ” and “If it’s not yes. it’s no.” The event was timed to coincide with student walkouts occurring across the country on the same day. For 17-year-old Elianna St. Martin, the action was a necessary break from silence. “We just want to be a part of that and show our support for all the Jane Does around the world because more people need to speak out about these issues because just staying silent isn’t going to bring the change that we want to happen. ” she said.
The fallout from the Cornell allegations is reshaping how these high school seniors view their own futures. For Laila Sharda, 17, the university’s response has soured the allure of elite institutions. “It is such an abomination that these Ivy League schools think that they can pay their way out of real issues. ” Sharda said. noting that she is now reconsidering her own college path. She added that she had previously been interested in Greek life. but the case has left her deeply skeptical of fraternities and sororities: “I want to make sure that I’m in a college that respects me and respects my boundaries.”.
There is a sharp divide between the university’s disciplinary actions and the expectations of the students on the ground. Luis Torres, 17, expressed disbelief at the outcomes for those involved in the allegations. “It’s completely unjustified how people at Cornell University only had the audacity to just expel two of their kids and make the others write essays. ” Torres said. “I find that completely unbelievable.”.
The march concluded with a rhythmic chant: “My body,” followed by the crowd’s response, “My choice.” As the protest reached its end, Isabella Scaffai delivered a final message to the hundreds gathered: “We are all Jane Does until no one is Jane Doe.”
Lincoln Park High School Cornell University protest walkout Jane Doe Chi Phi fraternity sexual assault