The System That Failed Cornell’s Jane Doe

We must start with prevention. Consent is not a box to check. It must be voluntary, informed, ongoing, and freely given. It cannot exist when a person is incapacitated, and it can be withdrawn at any time.

So how did young men come to believe this was acceptable? As a society, we have failed to educate young people about consent, respect, and the gravity of sexual violence. That education must begin before college; we cannot wait until they arrive on campus. 

College students need more than a single orientation presentation they forget by October. Schools should provide sustained, practical education about consent, coercion, alcohol and drugs, healthy relationships, and bystander responsibility. 

But education and prevention alone are not enough. Institutions must have protocols to ensure justice when prevention fails. 

On Sept. 18, 2026, in response to recent community outrage over how the case was handled, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten issued a statement explaining why his investigation resulted in a lack of criminal charges. Jane Doe’s credibility “was never in question,” he wrote, explaining that the initial sworn statement shared with the DA, which was reviewed by “multiple prosecutors and criminal investigators,” did not include the full information provided in Jane Doe’s 2026 civil suit.