Editor’s note: this article references sexual assault.
Just one day after the Cornell Institute of Politics and Global Affairs announced a “fully-funded” New York City trip featuring Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former speaker canceled the event due to the alleged 2024 gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house, The Sun has learned.
The cancelation of the New York City event was “related to the gang rape situation” currently occuring at the University, according to a source familiar with the matter.
It comes after a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against the University, Chi Phi and others on Sept. 14, alleging that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi house in 2024.
The event, marketed as an “opportunity to hear from and engage” with Pelosi, was planned for Oct. 15 at the ILR NYC Conference Center, and was sent to students by the Cornell IOPGA on Tuesday afternoon, according to an email obtained by The Sun.
On Wednesday afternoon, though, the RSVP form was closed and the IOPGA said the event was canceled, according to a subsequent email obtained by The Sun.
Since the initial email announcing the event was sent, elected officials nationwide have slammed Cornell and law enforcement’s handling of the alleged gang rape.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called the allegations “serious and horrific” and condemned a “system that is fundamentally broken,” while Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said there should be an investigation that leaves “no stone unturned.”
“Whether it’s my university or anyone’s university, clearly there’s been some sort of delay in accountability, and that needs to end,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin ’98 (D-Mich.) told TMZ.
Pelosi, who is retiring after her current term ends in 2027, has no plans to reschedule the event, according to the source.
The University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Giselle Redmond ’28 contributed reporting.
Atticus Johnson is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a news editor for the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at ajohnson@cornellsun.com.
