On Oct. 8, 2026 approximately 40 demonstrators gathered at Patterson Park Observatory in Baltimore to support survivors and demand greater institutional accountability following the recent allegations of sexual violence at Cornell University.
The protest began at 5 p.m. Demonstrators held signs reading “We are Jane Doe” and “I am Jane Doe” as they followed one of the co-organizers, Ally Donovan, in chanting, “We love you. We believe you. We will fight for you.” Throughout the rally, survivors of sexual violence and their supporters delivered speeches addressing the impact of sexual assault, calling for greater support and solidarity with survivors.
Donovan is a graduate student at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. In an interview with The News-Letter, she said that the protest aimed to provide a space for Baltimore residents to express solidarity with survivors amid recent national attention to campus sexual violence.
“Our intention was to bring the community in general together to support sexual violence survivors… and to ensure that we hold a space here in Baltimore where survivors can gather with the difficult times that we’re experiencing right now with everything in the news cycle,” she said.
Donovan further explained that the demonstration was intended to show solidarity with Jane Doe, the former Cornell student whose lawsuit has drawn national attention, and Kendall Francis, a Louisiana State University student who has publicly challenged her university’s handling of a sexual assault complaint.
The protest was titled “From the Frat House to the White House: Stop Sexual Violence,” and it was part of a national day of action organized by Women’s March, me too. International, Feminist Generation and FEMINIST.
The national demonstrations followed a civil lawsuit filed on Sept. 16 by a former Cornell student identified under the pseudonym Jane Doe. The lawsuit alleges that seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted her in October 2024 after she consumed alcohol and was pressured into taking ketamine.
Cornell’s internal disciplinary proceedings resulted in the expulsion of two students and the suspension of two others. No criminal charges have been filed against the accused in connection with the allegations. After local prosecutors reopened the investigation on Sept. 28, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate this incident.
So far, all of the seven men denied wrongdoing, and none have faced criminal charges. Moonies Bar & Nightclub denied serving Jane Doe alcohol when she was underage.
Beyond the Cornell case, the national campaign called for stronger Title IX enforcement, expanded campus support services for survivors of sexual violence and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At Patterson Park, participants also emphasized the importance of community support and institutional responsibility.
For Edith, a student at Baltimore School for the Arts, the protest offered an opportunity to connect with others who shared her concerns.
“I've heard a lot about everything that's going on right now, and I just have a lot of feelings about it,” she said to The News-Letter. “And I wanted to be surrounded by people who also have the same feelings.”
Teresa Lancaster, an attorney, advocate and survivor who attended the protest, emphasized the need for strong protections against sexual violence in institutions such as churches and universities in an interview with The News-Letter.
“These universities need to take a stronger look into what goes on and stop brushing it over just because a lot of the students have money,“ Lancaster said.
Despite her concerns about institutional accountability, Lancaster expressed optimism about the demonstration’s potential impact.
“I’m very delighted to see many people turn out and recognize that this was wrong, that [it] needs to be right,” she said. “[I’ve] been fighting for it all my life, and we’re seeing it.”
