Hundreds Rally in Solidarity with Cornell Jane Doe and Survivors of Sexual Violence

Written By MassachusettsNOW .

On October 8, hundreds of advocates, students, survivors, and community members gathered in solidarity with Cornell Jane Doe and survivors of sexual violence. Organized by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass NOW) and Jane Doe Inc., the rally brought together more than 800 people, according to The Boston Globe, to stand with survivors, demand accountability, and call for meaningful action to prevent sexual violence.

Mass NOW’s Feminist Campus Organizer, Ainsley Tischler, organized the rally in less than a week, in collaboration with Jane Doe Inc. and a broad coalition of community partners. The overwhelming turnout demonstrated the power of collective action and the urgency of confronting sexual violence on college campuses and beyond.

Earlier this month, a former Cornell University student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2024 and that the university failed to adequately protect her or respond appropriately afterward. The allegations have prompted renewed scrutiny, with a prosecutor reopening the criminal investigation and New York’s attorney general reviewing Cornell’s handling of the case.

The Cornell Jane Doe case reflects broader concerns about how institutions respond to sexual violence and the barriers survivors face when seeking justice, accountability, and support.

Our message is clear: Survivors deserve to be heard, believed, supported, and protected. Institutions must be held accountable, and meaningful action is needed to prevent sexual violence.

The rally was a powerful demonstration of community solidarity, but our work cannot stop there. We must turn that collective energy into sustained advocacy and policy change.

Take action today:

  • Contact your legislators: Urge your elected officials to prioritize policies that prevent sexual violence, strengthen survivor protections, and hold institutions accountable. Write to your legislators here.

  • Explore our Calls to Action: Learn how you can support survivors, advocate for systemic change, and get involved in ongoing efforts to end sexual violence. View our Calls to Action.

  • Stay involved: Join Mass NOW’s Feminist Campus Network to connect with student organizers and advocates working to advance gender justice across Massachusetts. Join the Feminist Campus Network.

We are deeply grateful to the advocates, organizers, students, and survivors who took the stage to share their perspectives, experiences, and calls for change.

Our speakers included:

  • Mike Connolly, State Representative 

  • Hema Sarang-Sieminski, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc.  

  • Stacy Malone, Executive Director of Victim Rights Law Center

  • Liz Speakman, Executive Director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center 

  • Harmony Witte, Cambridge-based artist, organizer, public speaker, and journalist.

  • Jazzy Compton, third-year Political Communications major at Emerson College, co-founder of the campus Planned Parenthood Generation Action

  • Meg Stone, Executive Director of Impact Boston 

  • Lena Stafford, Survivor, 2017 NYU graduate

  • Gabrielle Nickerson-Gibeault, third-year Global Cultural Studies student at Suffolk University

  • Isabel, Brandeis University student, member of the Socialist Alternative

  • Teddy Walker, Protect Trans Futures

  • Anonymous

We are especially grateful to the survivors who courageously shared their personal experiences. Each speaker brought an important perspective to the conversation, reinforcing the need for survivor-centered policies, institutional accountability, and community-driven solutions.

This rally would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of the many organizations and advocates who helped bring it to life.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our co-sponsors and community partners:

  • Jane Doe Inc.

  • The Network/La Red

  • Victim Rights Law Center

  • Mass 50501

  • Center for Healing and Advocacy at Emerson

  • BARCC

  • Eleonora Cordiovani Yoga

  • UMass Boston Women in Policy

  • MOVA, Bay State Birth Coalition

  • Reproductive Equity Now 

  • Transition House

  • Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund Massachusetts

  • LOLA

  • Our Bodies Ourselves

  • Protect Trans Futures

  • Boston Sex Workers and Allies Collective

  • Mass NOW’s Feminist Campus Network

To every speaker, survivor, organizer, volunteer, and community member who showed up: thank you for standing together and making your voices heard.

The rally may be over, but our commitment to survivors and the fight to end sexual violence continues.

MassachusettsNOW .
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