Bar where Jane Doe says she drank before going to Cornell fraternity says it didn’t serve her

Bar where Jane Doe says she drank before going to Cornell fraternity says it didn’t serve her ‘Moonies employees strictly followed the rules and did not serve alcohol to any underaged guests,’ the bar said in a statement - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A bar named in the lawsuit filed by Jane Doe accusing seven Cornell fraternity members of drugging and raping her claims they did not serve her alcohol. The former student, identified in a bombshell lawsuit solely as Jane Doe, sued Moonies Bar and Nightclub, claiming that she was served “to the point of visible intoxication” before she went to the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted in October 2024. However, the college bar denied those claims in legal documents, writing that it “denies that it unlawfully sold, furnished or assisted in procuring alcoholic beverages to any person under the legal drinking age,” TMZ reports. The bar also “denies that it sold or furnished alcoholic beverages to any visibly intoxicated person,” according to the court documents. In the 101-page lawsuit filed last month, Doe claims that she was 20 years old at the time of the alleged assault and a member of a sorority on campus. The complaint alleges she was visiting a friend at the fraternity house and was drunk when two male students pressured her into snorting a substance they claimed was ketamine. The lawsuit claims that after an initial sexual assault, one of the men invited other members of the fraternity to join, stating that there was “free p****.” Several male students arrived and subjected Doe to an hours-long assault by seven men, according to the complaint. The lawsuit names the alleged perpetrators and the national and local sorority chapter. It also names two local bars, the university and several university-affiliated individuals for their alleged roles in failing to monitor, supervise or protect Doe. Doe’s horrific allegations have captured national attention and sparked protests on the Ivy League university’s campus. New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened a criminal investigation into the allegations. The allegations resulted in several of the men being expelled. However, none have been criminally charged. All of the men have denied wrongdoing. In a statement to NPR last month, Moonies said that on the night of the alleged assault, it “had a contract in place and followed all the terms and conditions set by the sorority. To ensure with the compliance, we marked the hands of underage (18+) guests and provided wristbands to those over 21. Our bartenders strongly followed the rules and only served guests who had wristbands on their hands. No alcohol was served to guests who had marks on their hands.” The statement noted that a report in The Cornell Daily Sun, the university’s newspaper, claiming that Doe was served alcohol by Moonies employees “is completely inaccurate…Moonies employees strictly followed the rules and did not serve alcohol to any underaged guests.” The Independent has contacted Moonies for further comment. While no criminal charges have been filed against the men, the Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down as a result of the allegations. The university said it expelled some of the students and suspended others. In a statement last week, Cornell addressed the “false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case.” Still, students continue to protest, demanding greater accountability. As a result, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed the state attorney general last week to take over a criminal investigation into the allegations from the local district attorney. Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff shared an apologetic video Saturday, saying that Jane Doe's account “raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.” He also backed the independent review of the university’s actions, vowing for greater transparency and said he was committed to "finding the answers our community deserves.”