How Title IX investigations work and why experts say the system failed Cornell’s Jane Doe

The 18-year-old, now known as Jane Doe, flew across the country four years ago to Cornell University, where a civil complaint says she was immediately taken by the glorified façade of Greek life on campus and “promises of sisterhood and lifelong friendships.”

She was full of hope and expectations over the rite of passage journey more than 1,000 miles from her family home, and she says she did not know of numerous reports of sexual assault and rape at the Ithaca, New York, campus, according to the complaint.

That fall, allegations of sexual assault at a fraternity house and drug-laced drinks at off-campus locations led to student protests calling for a ban on Greek life and institutional reforms such as anti-sexual violence training for Greek-affiliated students. Amid the uproar, Cornell said it was “outraged and saddened” by the reports while fraternity parties and social events were temporarily suspended, a time intended for fraternity leaders to “implement stronger health and safety plans.”

Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN

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Now, Doe’s allegations that she was gang-raped at a campus fraternity house in 2024 have cast a harsh glare on Cornell and its handling of Title IX.

Faculty members are pressing university leadership as former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates leads an independent review of how the school prevents and responds to sexual misconduct, including “whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures in responding to” sexual assault allegations brought by Doe.

Cornell’s Faculty Senate will meet Wednesday to continue deliberations on a proposed vote of no confidence in the administration over its handling of Doe’s allegations.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged in a video posted October 3 the university needs to improve how it handles sexual misconduct.

“We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves,” Kotlikoff said.

The case has prompted a reopening of a criminal investigation into Doe’s claims and a re-examination of how universities across the US handle allegations of sexual assault.

Here’s what we know about how Cornell investigated Doe’s allegations and how the Title IX process is supposed to work.

Ray Thompson/AP/File

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More than half a century after Title IX was enacted, its practical execution is both intricate and complex.

The landmark federal civil rights statute aims to ensure students have equal access to opportunities regardless of their sex. It bans discrimination based on sex and governs how schools respond to complaints of sexual misconduct in federal education programs.

However, just what is covered and how schools should adjudicate claims has whipsawed. During his administration, President Barack Obama established more expansive protections for student survivors of sexual violence, a stance embraced by President Joe Biden as well. But President Donald Trump’s Education Department has seen things differently, narrowing categories of protection for survivors and expanding protections for students accused.

Doe’s case demonstrates just how complex Title IX cases are, even under the more protective policies afforded to accusers by past presidential administrations.

Angelina Katsanis/Reuters

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Schools navigate an administrative and legal minefield when handling Title IX complaints, experts say, because the statute sits at a precarious intersection where federal nondiscrimination mandates converge with state criminal and civil laws.

A Title IX investigation begins when a school receives a formal complaint about a possible violation, including a campus sex assault, stalking, abuse in athletics or sexual harassment, experts say.

Once a Title IX coordinator reviews it, the parties involved are notified of the complaint and informed how the process works.

The accused must be informed of the charges against them. And the two parties are allowed to have people assigned to assist them throughout the procedures, allowing each side an opportunity to tell their story, present evidence and cross examine the accuser, the accused, as well as witnesses.

Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell police on November 8, 2024. The same day, the suit says, the university’s chapter of the Chi Phi Xi fraternity was placed on temporary suspension for alleged violations of the student code of conduct.

When Doe spoke with Cornell police on November 14 and 15, a campus police investigator led the questioning, with a Title IX investigator, a victim advocate and Doe’s adviser also reportedly in the room for the first day of the interview, CNN affiliate WCBS reported.

Doe signed a statement compiled by Cornell police based on her interview, but it did not include Doe’s direct accusation of rape that appears in the transcript of the interview. CNN has not seen the transcript and has asked Cornell for a copy but has not heard back.

The six-page statement was the only document initially provided to Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten by the police department, he said after the lawsuit was filed. He made the decision to not file any charges based on the statement, he said in a news release last month, because it “did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped.”

“This case serves as an illustration of both the ways that a school can fail students, but also the way that the criminal-legal system can simultaneously fail students,” Alexandra Brodsky, litigation director of the Public Justice’s Students’ Civil Rights Project, said about prosecutors not receiving the full transcript of Doe’s interview .

It wasn’t until January 2025, the lawsuit says, when the university opened its formal investigation under Title IX in response to Doe’s allegations. CNN has not seen the Title IX filings, which are generally confidential and restricted to the parties involved.

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“This survivor basically did exactly what we generally expect survivors to do, which is write things down, go to the police quickly after the assault … but it still wasn’t enough,” said attorney Carolin Guentert, who has represented accusers in Title IX cases involving sexual assault allegations.

Cornell previously said it had turned over all investigative information to the district attorney but has since said it only shared the victim’s sworn statement and Snapchat screenshot of messages from the night of the incident with the prosecutor.

The university has not responded to CNN’s questions about why the full transcript of Jane Doe’s police interview, which included Doe’s explicit rape accusation, was not included in the statement prepared by police for the DA.

In an October 14 letter to two senior faculty members, Doe said she felt “unsupported and disbelieved” by Kotlikoff shortly after she reported her alleged sexual assault. The letter was sent as Cornell’s Faculty Senate met to begin deliberations on a vote of no confidence.

After Doe reported the alleged assault, the president of her sorority spoke with Kotlikoff, who Doe said asked her something “along the lines of, ‘Why did she wait so long to report it?’” according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN.

The sorority president “interpreted his question as an expression of doubt in the veracity of my story,” according to Doe’s letter, which acknowledged the information is from “a second-hand account.”

“It diminished my confidence in the administration’s ability to approach my experience with the understanding, sensitivity, and fairness I had hoped for and expected from what had been my dream school,” the letter said.

A Cornell spokesperson has disputed that account, telling CNN the question of “why did it take so long for the assault to be reported” was directed at bystanders who had not used Cornell’s anonymous tip line, rather than questioning Doe’s reporting.

The Title IX investigative process involves gathering evidence — such as separate interviews, digital communications, and official records — which both parties review before a final report is prepared.

CNN obtained a copy of a heavily redacted, 99-page document summarizing key evidence included in a Cornell disciplinary panel’s decision. The decision details more than 50 interviews, including with six of the seven accused men – none of whom has been charged with a crime.

Sexual assault survivor says Cornell Jane Doe is ‘not alone’, and laments lack of accountability

The men named in the lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing.

Title IX is currently enforced under regulations implemented in 2020 , which after the initial investigation, require a live hearing and cross-examination by a representative of the accused.

“You really have to picture a mini trial, except it’s being done by decision makers at the school,” Guentert said. “Often, that tends to be faculty or staff. Sometimes it’s people who are hired by the university and brought onto campus to run these hearings. It really is, in a way, its own justice system.”

Beth Gellman-Beer, an attorney who worked for nearly 20 years at the US Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, said Title IX proceedings carefully consider the rights of both the complainants and the accused.

“The whole point, not that it necessarily results in that outcome, but the intention is: This process provides due process to both parties,” Gellman-Beer said.

“Making sure that due process is implemented requires time. These investigations are resource-intensive, time-consuming,” Gellman-Beer added.

Overall, university investigations have a lower standard of proof and evidence than the criminal justice system.

Most schools use the “preponderance of the evidence” standard to determine if the violation was more likely than not to have occurred, though some use a higher “clear and convincing” standard, experts said.

If a violation is found, schools can impose sanctions up to suspension or expulsion, and both parties have the right to appeal.

A “ range of sanctions ,” including expulsions and suspensions, came after Cornell conducted a formal Title IX investigation, separate from the criminal proceeding, and a panel of trained faculty and staff heard evidence over multiple days, the university said.

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The university has declined to confirm individual disciplinary outcomes, citing federal student privacy law.

Doe’s attorney Thomas P. Giuffra has said Cornell expelled two of the seven accused students while the others received lesser punishment, including suspensions, workshops or written assignments.

Cornell has countered that claim, saying “none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement,” the university said.

“Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” Cornell said in a statement . “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”

A CNN review of Cornell records found that nearly half of students found responsible for sexual assault in recent years were punished with extra study programs and written reprimands, but avoided suspension or expulsion.

Just two Cornell students were expelled after being found responsible for sexual assault between mid-2020 and mid-2024, according to the most recent data released by the university. In all, Cornell reviewed 51 formal complaints about sexual assault in that time frame and found students responsible in 16 cases.

A Cornell spokesperson told CNN the university takes sexual misconduct allegations “extremely seriously.” It “investigates reports through established processes, providing support and resources to those who come forward,” the spokesperson said in a statement, also noting the university has expanded its in-person sexual violence prevention education to all first-year students.

The Chi Phi chapter was banned from campus in 2024 and a Cornell task force addressing sexual assault issued a final report earlier this year.

Cornell police tried to get phone records in Jane Doe’s sex assault investigation. Her lawyer says records never got to DA

The task force found the rates of sexual assault at Cornell “remain persistently high” even after having “a long history of actions to address” it. The report pointed to a 2025 survey showing an increase in reports of female undergraduate students experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact, compared to 2023.

Alcohol played a role in more than half of reported cases, and more than half of Greek-affiliated undergraduate women reported being sexually assaulted, according to the survey findings.

“One consistent theme we heard was a need for increased knowledge about the various reporting and support options available after a sexual assault has occurred,” the task force said in its report.

Beyond investigating complaints, Title IX coordinators should offer accusers supportive measures such changes in housing or stay-away orders to prevent them from encountering the alleged perpetrators on campus, according to experts.

The statute requires the Title IX coordinator to promptly contact the complainant to discuss available supportive measures, even if a formal complaint isn’t filed.

“Even if the school can’t or won’t investigate, even if they investigate and they don’t find that the respondent is responsible, Title IX allows the school to explore other supportive measures to help that victim access the educational environment – like a no contact order, a safety plan, a change in housing,” Gellman-Beer said.

But Doe remained on campus after the university declined to refund her tuition, Giuffra said of his client.

Photo Illustration by Jason Lancaster/CNN/Getty Images

A timeline of the Cornell gang rape allegations

“She wanted to leave the university and go home and heal,” Giuffra said.

“She spent an entire semester (on) the campus where she saw these guys on a fairly regular basis. And that is just horrifying to me,” he added, referring to the alleged perpetrators.

CNN has reached out to Cornell for comment on the allegation that Doe was not allowed to withdraw without a financial loss.

Shiwali Patel, a Title IX expert with the National Women’s Law Center, said it’s unclear what support Doe received from the university.

“This paints a picture of what a lot of survivors are experiencing,” Patel said, adding many accusers choose not to report sexual assaults because of the lack of support.

“The power of Title IX really relies on how it is being enforced. The trust that, because it’s being enforced well and it’s enforced consistent with this broad and protective process, that students and employees then trust that they can go to the federal government to enforce their rights if they’re violated,” she added.

Guentert said she hopes the case serves as a watershed of sorts for school administrators, fraternities and sororities, and students and parents.

“Title IX is an incredibly important and very protective law that we have to keep enforcing, but clearly this system isn’t working,” she said.

“It really failed this survivor. I don’t have an answer to what the solution is. But I’m glad this is starting conversations around: Are there better ways of handling it when something like this happens on campus?”

Help is available : For help in the US, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or chat 24/7 on online.rainn.org .

CNN’s Holy, Yan, Gloria Pazmino, Jeff Winter, Kara Scannell, Jason Carroll, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman, Curt Devine, Blake Ellis, Audrey Ash, Melanie Hicken, Karina Tsui, Emma Lacey-Bordeaux, Hanna Park, Dany Gainor and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

这位现年 18 岁、化名 Jane Doe 的女子四年前飞越整个国家来到康奈尔大学。一份民事诉讼称，她立刻被校园里兄弟会/姐妹会光鲜亮丽的外表以及“姐妹情谊和终身友谊的承诺”所吸引。

据投诉称，她对这次远离家乡 1000 多英里的成人礼之旅充满希望和期待，并表示她不​​知道纽约州伊萨卡校区发生过多起性侵犯和强奸事件。

那年秋天，有关兄弟会宿舍发生性侵事件以及校外场所出现掺有毒品饮料的指控引发了学生抗议，他们呼吁取缔兄弟会和姐妹会活动，并要求进行制度改革，例如为兄弟会和姐妹会成员提供反性暴力培训。在舆论哗然之际，康奈尔大学表示对这些报道感到“愤怒和悲痛”，同时暂停了兄弟会的聚会和社交活动，以便兄弟会领导人“制定更完善的健康和安全计划”。

图片由 Alberto Mier/CNN 提供

深陷强奸文化的牢笼之中

现在，Doe 指控她在 2024 年于校园兄弟会宿舍遭到轮奸，这让康奈尔大学及其对第九条修正案的处理方式受到了严厉的审视。

前美国副司法部长萨莉·Q·耶茨 (Sally Q. Yates) 领导了一项独立审查，调查康奈尔大学如何预防和应对性行为不端，包括“康奈尔大学在应对”约翰·多伊 (John Doe) 提出的性侵犯指控时是否遵循了其政策和程序。教职员工正在向大学领导层施压。

康奈尔大学教务委员会将于周三召开会议，继续审议一项针对校方处理约翰·多伊指控的不信任投票提案。

康奈尔大学校长迈克尔·科特利科夫在10月3日发布的一段视频中承认，该大学需要改进其处理性行为不端的方式。

“我们没有所有的答案，但我们致力于调查并找到我们社区应得的答案，”科特利科夫说。

该案件促使当局重新对 Doe 的指控展开刑事调查，并重新审视美国各大学如何处理性侵犯指控。

以下是我们了解到的康奈尔大学如何调查 Doe 的指控以及第九条修正案流程应该如何运作的情况。

Ray Thompson/美联社/档案照片

这所大学严厉打击了兄弟会和姐妹会活动。以下是目前的情况。

第九条修正案颁布半个多世纪后，其实际执行仍然错综复杂。

这项具有里程碑意义的联邦民权法案旨在确保学生无论性别都能平等地获得机会。它禁止基于性别的歧视，并规范学校如何处理联邦教育项目中发生的性行为不端投诉。

然而，究竟哪些情况属于保护范围，以及学校应如何处理索赔，一直摇摆不定。奥巴马总统执政期间，为性暴力幸存学生设立了更广泛的保护措施，拜登总统也秉持了这一立场。但特朗普总统领导的教育部却采取了不同的做法，缩小了对幸存者的保护范围，同时扩大了对被指控学生的保护。

Doe 的案例表明，即使在以往总统政府对指控者提供更多保护的政策下，第九条修正案案件仍然非常复杂。

安吉丽娜·卡特萨尼斯/路透社

康奈尔大学官员因涉嫌轮奸案引发的众怒日益高涨，教职工向其施压，要求其停止办案。

专家表示，学校在处理第九条投诉时会面临行政和法律上的重重雷区，因为该法规处于联邦反歧视规定与州刑事和民事法律交汇的危险地带。

专家表示，当学校收到有关可能违规行为的正式投诉时，第九条修正案调查就会开始，这些违规行为包括校园性侵犯、跟踪、体育运动中的虐待或性骚扰。

第九条协调员审查后，相关各方将收到投诉通知，并被告知处理流程。

被告必须被告知对其提出的指控。双方均可指派人员协助其完成整个诉讼程序，使双方都有机会陈述案情、出示证据并对原告、被告以及证人进行交叉询问。

2024 年 11 月 8 日，Doe 向康奈尔大学警方报案称遭到袭击。诉讼称，同一天，该校 Chi Phi Xi 兄弟会分会因涉嫌违反学生行为准则而被暂时停权。

据 CNN 附属电视台 WCBS 报道，11 月 14 日和 15 日，当 Doe 与康奈尔大学警方谈话时，一名校园警察调查员主导了询问，第九条修正案调查员、受害者权益倡导者和 Doe 的顾问据称也在第一天的谈话中在场。

简·多伊签署了一份由康奈尔大学警方根据她的访谈内容整理的声明，但其中并未包含她在访谈记录中直接提出的强奸指控。CNN尚未看到该访谈记录，并已向康奈尔大学索取副本，但尚未收到回复。

汤普金斯县地方检察官马修·范·豪顿在诉讼提起后表示，警方最初向他提供的唯一文件就是这份六页的声明。他在上个月的新闻稿中表示，他决定不根据这份声明提起任何指控，因为声明“没有指控她被强迫下药或遭到轮奸”。

“这起案件既说明了学校在哪些方面会辜负学生，也说明了刑事司法系统在哪些方面会同时辜负学生，”公共正义学生公民权利项目的诉讼主任亚历山德拉·布罗德斯基在谈到检察官没有收到约翰·多伊的完整采访记录时说道。

诉讼称，直到2025年1月，该大学才根据《教育法修正案第九条》对约翰·多伊的指控展开正式调查。CNN尚未看到《教育法修正案第九条》的相关文件，这些文件通常属于保密文件，仅限相关当事人查阅。

康奈尔大学表示，前美国副司法部长萨莉·耶茨将调查该校对简·多伊强奸指控的回应。

“这位幸存者基本上做了我们通常期望幸存者做的事情，那就是把事情写下来，在袭击发生后迅速报警……但这仍然不够，”律师卡罗琳·根特说，她曾代理过涉及性侵犯指控的第九条案件中的原告。

康奈尔大学此前曾表示已将所有调查信息移交给地方检察官，但后来又表示只向检察官提供了受害者的宣誓证词和事发当晚的 Snapchat 信息截图。

对于 CNN 提出的关于为何警方为地方检察官准备的声明中没有包含 Jane Doe 接受警方讯问的完整笔录（其中包括 Doe 明确的强奸指控）的问题，该大学尚未作出回应。

在10月14日写给两位资深教员的一封信中，Doe表示，在她举报自己遭受性侵犯后不久，她感到Kotlikoff“不予支持，也不相信她”。这封信发出之际，康奈尔大学教务委员会正召开会议，开始审议对Kotlikoff的不信任投票。

据 CNN 获得的信件副本显示，在 Doe 举报了这起所谓的性侵犯事件后，她的姐妹会主席与 Kotlikoff 进行了交谈，Doe 说 Kotlikoff 问了她一些类似“为什么她等了这么久才举报​​？”的问题。

据 Doe 的信中称，该姐妹会主席“将他的问题解读为对我的故事真实性的怀疑”，而 Doe 也承认这些信息来自“二手资料”。

信中写道：“这削弱了我对校方处理我的经历的能力的信心，我原本希望并期待这所我梦寐以求的学校能够给予我理解、体贴和公平的对待。”

康奈尔大学的一位发言人否认了这一说法，并告诉 CNN，“为什么袭击事件过了这么久才被报告”这个问题是针对那些没有使用康奈尔大学匿名举报热线的旁观者提出的，而不是质疑 Doe 的报告。

第九条调查程序包括收集证据——例如单独的访谈、数字通信和官方记录——双方在准备最终报告之前都会审查这些证据。

CNN获得了一份经过大量删减的99页文件，该文件总结了康奈尔大学纪律委员会裁决中包含的关键证据。该裁决详细记录了50多次访谈，其中包括对七名被告中的六名的访谈——但目前尚无人被指控犯罪。

性侵幸存者表示，康奈尔大学的简·多伊“并非个例”​​，并对缺乏问责机制表示遗憾。

诉讼中提到的几名男子均否认有任何不当行为。

第九条目前按照 2020 年实施的法规执行，该法规规定，在初步调查之后，需要举行现场听证会，并由被告的代表进行交叉询问。

“你可以把它想象成一场小型审判，只不过审判者是学校的决策者，”根特说。“通常情况下，这些人是教职员工。有时，大学会聘请一些人到校园来主持这些听证会。从某种意义上说，这确实是一个独立的司法系统。”

曾在美国教育部民权办公室工作近 20 年的律师贝丝·盖尔曼-比尔表示，第九条修正案程序会仔细考虑申诉人和被告双方的权利。

“关键不在于它是否一定会产生那种结果，而在于其意图：这个过程为双方提供了正当程序，”盖尔曼-比尔说。

“确保正当程序得到落实需要时间。这些调查耗费资源，也耗时，”盖尔曼-比尔补充道。

总体而言，大学调查的证据和证明标准低于刑事司法系统。

专家表示，大多数学校采用“优势证据”标准来判断违规行为发生的可能性是否大于不发生的可能性，但有些学校则采用更高的“清晰且令人信服”的标准。

如果发现违规行为，学校可以采取停学或开除等处分，双方均有权提出上诉。

康奈尔大学表示，在进行正式的第九条修正案调查（与刑事诉讼无关）后，校方采取了一系列制裁措施，包括开除和停学。一个由训练有素的教职员工组成的小组听取了多天的证据。

特别检察官即将聘请外部律师处理康奈尔大学的调查

校方以联邦学生隐私法为由，拒绝确认个别学生的处分结果。

Doe 的律师 Thomas P. Giuffra 表示，康奈尔大学开除了七名被指控学生中的两名，而其他学生则受到了较轻的处罚，包括停学、参加研讨会或提交书面作业。

康奈尔大学反驳了这一说法，称“没有任何被指控的人仅仅因为参与此事就被给予撰写论文的机会”。

康奈尔大学在一份声明中表示：“任何关于校方没有对涉案人员施加相应惩罚的说法都是错误的。继续散布此案惩罚力度不足的错误说法是不负责任的，会让幸存者感到更不安全、更缺乏支持，并会助长性侵犯案件的瞒报现象。”

CNN 对康奈尔大学的记录进行审查后发现，近年来被认定犯有性侵犯罪的学生中，近一半受到了额外的学习项目和书面警告的惩罚，但避免了停学或开除。

根据康奈尔大学最新公布的数据，在2020年中期至2024年中期期间，仅有两名康奈尔学生因性侵罪被开除。在此期间，康奈尔大学共审查了51起正式的性侵投诉，并认定其中16起案件涉及学生。

康奈尔大学发言人告诉CNN，该校“极其重视”性行为不端指控。发言人在一份声明中表示，学校“通过既定程序调查举报，并为挺身而出的人提供支持和资源”，并指出该校已将面对面的性暴力预防教育扩展到所有一年级学生。

Chi Phi 分会于 2024 年被禁止在校园内活动，康奈尔大学一个处理性侵犯问题的特别工作组于今年早些时候发布了最终报告。

康奈尔大学警方曾试图在简·多伊性侵案调查中获取电话记录。她的律师称，这些记录从未送达地方检察官办公室。

工作组发现，尽管康奈尔大学“长期以来采取了多项措施来应对”性侵犯问题，但该校的性侵犯发生率“仍然居高不下”。报告指出，2025年的一项调查显示，与2023年相比，女本科生报告遭受非自愿性接触的案例有所增加。

调查结果显示，超过一半的报告案例中都与酒精有关，超过一半的希腊社团女大学生报告称曾遭受性侵犯。

工作组在报告中指出：“我们听到的一个反复出现的主题是，人们需要更多地了解性侵犯发生后可获得的各种报告和支持选项。”

专家表示，除了调查投诉外，第九条协调员还应向指控者提供支持措施，例如改变住房安排或发布禁入令，以防止他们在校园内遇到涉嫌施害者。

该法规要求第九条协调员及时联系投诉人，讨论可用的支持措施，即使没有正式提出投诉。

“即使学校不能或不愿进行调查，即使他们进行了调查，但发现被告没有责任，第九条也允许学校探索其他支持措施，以帮助受害者进入教育环境——例如禁止接触令、安全计划、改变住房，”盖尔曼-比尔说。

吉弗拉说，他的委托人多伊在大学拒绝退还学费后仍然留在校园里。

图片由 Jason Lancaster/CNN/Getty Images 提供

康奈尔轮奸案时间线

“她想离开大学，回家疗伤，”吉弗拉说。

“她在校园里待了一个学期，经常见到这些人。这让我感到非常震惊，”他补充道，指的是涉嫌的施暴者。

CNN已联系康奈尔大学，就有关Doe无法在不遭受经济损失的情况下退学的指控寻求置评。

全国妇女法律中心第九条专家希瓦利·帕特尔表示，目前尚不清楚约翰·多伊从大学获得了哪些支持。

帕特尔说：“这描绘了许多幸存者正在经历的境况。”他还补充说，许多指控者因为缺乏支持而选择不举报性侵犯。

她补充说：“第九条修正案的效力实际上取决于它的执行情况。只有当它得到有效执行，并且执行过程符合这一广泛而全面的保护程序时，学生和教职工才会相信，如果他们的权利受到侵犯，他们可以向联邦政府寻求帮助。”

根特表示，她希望此案能对学校管理人员、兄弟会和姐妹会、学生和家长起到某种分水岭作用。

“第九条是一项极其重要且极具保护性的法律，我们必须继续执行，但显然这个制度并没有奏效，”她说。

“这件事对这位幸存者来说真的太糟糕了。我不知道该如何解决这个问题。但我很高兴这件事引发了关于以下问题的讨论：当校园里发生类似事件时，是否有更好的处理方法？”

可以获得帮助：在美国，如需帮助，请拨打全国性侵犯热线 1-800-656-4673 或访问 online.rainn.org 进行 24/7 全天候聊天。

CNN 的 Holy、Yan、Gloria Pazmino、Jeff Winter、Kara Scannell、Jason Carroll、Casey Tolan、Isabelle Chapman、Curt Devine、Blake Ellis、Audrey Ash、Melanie Hicken、Karina Tsui、Emma Lacey-Bordeaux、Hanna Park、Dany Gainor 和 Lauren Mascarenhas 对本报道做出了贡献。