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After Columbia University’s student publication published comments questioning Cornell’s sexual assault scandal, there was a strong reaction on campus, leading to the resignation of editors and a debate over free speech. Cornell’s fraternity ban has also been criticized as excessive.
According to the Wall Street Journal, two Columbia University students recently published an opinion article questioning the outside world’s mainstream view of the “Cornell 7”, triggering a strong reaction on campus and once again sparking a heated debate over free speech at the United States’ top universities.
2024, oneCornell University The former student, who goes by the pseudonym Jane Doe, alleges she was raped by multiple men at a fraternity partysexual harassment . Two Columbia University students said in the article that the incident was complex and that outsiders should not jump to conclusions before understanding the full facts. He warned against acting lightly as a “keyboard judge” and believed that before making hasty decisions, “it is worth stopping and thinking”. The pair also suggested that the encounter may have been a “sexual encounter in which both parties were largely consensual but later regretted.”
“We believe this mass hysteria is unhelpful. It not only ignores all the facts of the case that do not fit the “preferred narrative”, but also treats women as children who cannot think for themselves.” Nikos, third year student. Nikos Mohammadi and Christina. Christina Ma writes. “It also creates an environment on campus that makes it difficult for people to express a different view of what happened than the strongest position.”
The article drew immediate reaction after it was published last week in The Sundial, Columbia University’s student publication. Sundial claims to be the independent campus voice of Columbia University. Dissatisfaction with the content of the article led to the resignation of several editorial board members, and students signed a petition to shut down the publication. A large number of posts were also made on the campus forum SideChat and the critical articles were objectionable.
A coalition advocating free speech at Columbia University originally planned to hold a press freedom event and invited the editor-in-chief of The Sundial to attend, but student organizers later canceled the event. This decision gave rise to another wave of controversy.
Sundial editor Shoshana Oufzian was not involved in this review. She said she strongly opposed the content of the article, but still believed The Sundial had the right to publish it, and believed the external response was not commensurate with the article.
The editorial board of the Columbia Political Review, a multi-pronged political publication, condemned the article, saying it suggested that victims of sexual assault should be held responsible for the incident rather than holding perpetrators responsible.
The Columbia Open Discourse Alliance, a group of campus political and media organizations that promotes free speech, also criticized the article for “promoting rape culture” and silencing sexual assault survivors.
The coalition said a planned press freedom event was canceled due to some safety concerns, including for panelists and attendees. Alliance founder Aum Desai said the event would be held at another time.
After the controversy erupted, some organizations that were originally included in the coalition, including the Columbia College Republicans, also withdrew from the coalition. Desai said the program set out to explore how campus editorial reporting incorporates diverse perspectives and the importance of diversity of viewpoints.
Supporters of The Sundial and free speech advocates say the response reinforces long-standing criticism that many prestigious universities do not welcome views that differ from the mainstream.
“I don’t think any other campus publication at Columbia University has dared to publish similar arguments in the past,” said Jonas Du, who graduated last year and founded The Sundial in 2024 to improve public discussion on campus. “It’s cancel culture in the workplace.”
Columbia University has previously been criticized by the outside world for holding liberal group views during the Gaza protests, causing discontent among conservatives and President Trump. Last year, the school agreed to pay $200 million to the federal government to settle a dispute over allegations it failed to properly protect Jewish students.
