Josh Gad Slams Cornell Over Handling of Fraternity Sexual Assault Case

Actor Josh Gad has publicly criticised Cornell University's handling of disciplinary proceedings tied to sexual assault allegations involving seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, arguing that institutions must deliver meaningful accountability in cases of alleged sexual violence.

In a post on his Instagram account, Gad took aim at what he described as lenient consequences after a former Cornell student alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in Ithaca on October 19, 2024.

"When we start setting a precedent that our girls and women can be brutally raped, and the resulting disciplinary action is to hand out... essays... about why it was wrong to brutally violate an innocent girl, we have lost our minds," Gad wrote in the image text accompanying his post.

The actor rejected the framing of sexual assault as a mistake that limited institutional punishment can address. "That's not a 'mistake' that these 'aw shucks gee whiz rapist fellas' learn from," he wrote, adding, "There is NO SUCH THING as white-collar rape. This isn't an Oopsie Daisy. It's the destruction of a life."

The former student, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a lawsuit against Cornell University and seven fraternity members in New York Supreme Court on September 16. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the fraternity house.

Her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said only two of the seven alleged attackers were expelled, while other fraternity members received lesser disciplinary measures, including writing essays. He also said none of the alleged attackers was arrested. The allegations have not been established as fact in court.

The former student reported the alleged assaults to Cornell's university police department about three weeks after the incident and later left the university.

Cornell said it investigated and adjudicated the allegations in accordance with its policies. In a September 21 statement, the university said it "condemns sexual violence," calling it "fundamentally incompatible" with its principles. It said its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards handled the matter, while the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remained barred from campus.

"Federal privacy law prohibits Cornell from disclosing specific information regarding individual students and we therefore are unable to make a public statement on any other disciplinary response," the university said, adding that policy violations could draw sanctions "up to and including suspension or expulsion."

Cornell had previously described the allegations as involving "serious and deeply disturbing allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence" and called the alleged behaviour "abhorrent."

Chi Phi's national headquarters also condemned sexual violence while declining to discuss the specific allegations because of the pending litigation. "Chi Phi unequivocally condemns sexual violence," the fraternity said, adding that sexual violence is "fundamentally incompatible" with its principles and expectations.