Cornell students protest handling of alleged 2024 sexual assault

On October 5, 2026, Cornell University's main administration building, Day Hall, was vandalized by student activists protesting the university’s handling of an alleged gang rape from 2024. Activists broke a glass door and spray-painted messages like “Smash the patriarchy” and “At Cornell rapists are protected... protestors are expelled” in red paint on the walls surrounding the entrance. The vandalism occurred overnight, ahead of a planned protest by student groups to demand justice for survivors of sexual assault.

Cornell spokesperson Kyle Kimball stated that while they understand students' frustrations, damaging property is not an acceptable response and that the university would address the incident according to its policies and applicable law. The protests have been fueled by growing public outrage over how Cornell initially handled the case, with some demanding changes in the university’s procedures for addressing sexual assault complaints.