Oct 2, 2026 · 12 min
New York reopens scrutiny of Cornell rape allegations
The story unfolding at Cornell is dismayingly familiar
The episode examines how police coordination, institutional accountability, and recurring misogyny shape the response to sexual-violence allegations.
- 1New York assigned Attorney General Letitia James to oversee scrutiny of Cornell’s handling of the alleged 2024 rape.
- 2Students question whether Cornell police and local authorities shared information and acted appropriately after learning of the allegations.
- 3Women describe renewed grief and anger while finding hope in younger generations’ refusal to accept misogyny as inevitable.
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Women contributors connect the Cornell case to decades of recurring sexual violence and institutional failure, then identify hope in a generation rejecting misogyny as inevitable.
The brief
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James to oversee scrutiny of Cornell’s handling of an alleged 2024 gang rape, after criticism of campus police and local authorities.
Aurora Berry explains the investigation’s next steps as students in Ithaca question whether Cornell police and the Tompkins County district attorney acted—or shared information—appropriately.
The episode widens from one case to a familiar pattern: women describe grief, anger, fear, victim blaming, and institutional failure that persist despite decades of public discussion.
Soraya Chemaly, Carmen Maria Machado, Jessica Killen, and Jennifer Weiner connect sexual violence to broader misogyny and rollbacks of women’s rights, while identifying hope in generational refusal.
The central tension is whether outrage can produce lasting accountability, rather than another cycle in which institutions respond only after public pressure intensifies.
Aurora Berry
Soraya Chemaly
Carmen Maria Machado
Jennifer WeinerBooks & mentions
All We Want Is Everything
A feminist manifesto that extends the episode’s examination of how male supremacy operates and adapts.
Yes Means Yes
A consent-focused anthology that deepens the episode’s questions about sexual violence and accountability.
In the Dream House
A memoir offering another literary examination of abuse and the systems surrounding it.
Listen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.