INTERNATIONAL — The Cornell Daily Sun has put student journalism at the centre of a dispute over university accountability by publishing the names of seven defendants in a sexual-assault lawsuit.

Its September 21 editorial, titled Cornell Won’t, We Will, identifies the men named in a civil complaint alleging that a student was drugged and sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.

The newspaper’s argument

The editorial board criticizes Cornell’s response and argues that institutional processes have failed to match the seriousness of the allegations. It points readers to the complaint in support of its criticism.

The Washington Post reported October 1 that newly unsealed records detail an extensive university investigation involving more than 50 interviews with 32 witnesses.

What publication does not establish

A civil complaint states allegations; naming its defendants is not a finding of criminal guilt. This report concerns the newspaper’s editorial decision and the institutional response, rather than reaching a verdict on the allegations.

Sources: The Cornell Daily Sun editorial; The Washington Post, October 1.

Supporting image: AI-generated editorial illustration from TNC’s archive; not a photograph of this event or the people involved.